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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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Shelf.. JLsL 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



The Young Astronomer; 



OR, 



HELPS TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE LEADING 
CONSTELLATIONS. 



"O -were I but a king, the alartn-bell should sound ez'ery night, in 
order to compel my subjects of every age, sex, and condition to run to 
their windows and stirvey the finnavient^ — Count De Maistre. 



/ 



BY JAS. H. CARLISLE. 

President of "Wofford College, South Carolina. 

*** 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. 

Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 
Barbee &. Smith, Agents, Nashville, Texx. 







Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1891, 

Bythe Book Agents ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



INTRODUCTION. 

* * * 

" For many years it has been one of my constant re- 
grets that no school-master of mine had a knowledge of 
natural history — so far, at least, as to have taught me the 
grasses that grow by the way-side, and the little winged 
and wingless neighbors that are continually meeting me 
with a salutation, which I cannot answer as things are. 
Why didn't somebody teach me the constellations, too, 
which are always overhead, and which I don't half 
know to this day? I love to prophesy that there will 
come a time when not in Edinburgh only, but in all 
Scottish and European towns and villages, the school- 
master will be required to possess these two capabilities 
(neither Greek nor Latin more strict), and that no in- 
genious little denizen of this universe be thenceforward 
debarred from his right of liberty in these two depart- 
ments, and doomed to look on them as if across grated 
fences all his life." 

This passage is found in a letter from Thomas Carl vie 
to one engaged in educational pursuits. The patient, 
untiring Scotchman could rewrite a large pile of man- 
uscript sheets that had been carelessly destroyed, but 
he could not learn the names of the constellations which 
were left out from his school lessons. Verv few grown 

'(5) 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

people are willing to become children that they may 
begin the alphabet of any new study. 

It is not possible for any text-book to give the names 
of the "grasses and winged or wingless insects," that 
pupils in different parts of our wide-spread country can 
see at a given hour. But this can be easily done in the 
case of the constellations. 

At intervals, for more than twenty years, short arti- 
cles like those composing this little volume have ap- 
peared in the Southern Christian Advocate, under the 
title of " The Young Astronomer." The name is re- 
tained, though it may perhaps be too pretentious. The 
book is not an "Astronomy" in any sense. It may be 
a help to children, indirectly, through their parents or 
teachers; and to young- people, directly, in getting some 
knowledge of the leading constellations. 

May it lead some readers to "make friendships with 
the stars," and to "seek Him who maketh the Seven 
Stars and Orion!" J. H. C. 

Spartanburg, S. C. 




SUGGESTIONS TO READERS. 



The first chapter may be read at any time, as it re- 
fers to stars that may be seen every evening in the 
year. 

The remaining chapters refer to stars that rise and set. 
Under any given date there will be found some constel- 
lations visible at S o'clock on that evening. Several 
neighboring dates may be consulted also. On the first 
evening of any month, at a given hour, the stars oc- 
cupy the positions which they held two hours later on 
the first of the preceding month; and they will 
hold the same relative positions two hours earlier in 
the following month at the same dav. For example : 
On the first evening in December, at S o'clock, the 
stars will appear as they did at 10 o'clock Novem- 
ber i, and as they will appear at 6 o'clock on Jan- 
uary i. 

Eight o'clock is rather late for a winter evening; but 
it is best to have a uniform hour through the year, and 
no earlier hour could be taken for summer. 

This time — 8 o'clock p.m. — in every case means the 
true local time; not the railroad time, now so gener- 
allv used. The difference in many places will not be 
material. 

(T) 



a 



SUGGESTIONS TO READERS. 



There are three dates given in each month— ist, ioth, 
and 20th. For evenings between these the nearest 
date, either before or after, may be used. 




CONTENTS. 

* * * 

PAGE 

Chapter I. Stars that Never Set.. n 

Chapter II. Stars that Rise and Set 31 

January 1, 8 p.m., or February 1, 6 p.m 31 

January 10, 8 p.m 35 

January 20, 8 p.m 37 

February 1, 8 p.m., or January 1, 10 p.m 41 

February 10, 8 p.m 44 

February 20, 8 p.m 47 

March 1, 8 p.m., or February 1, 10 p.m 49 

March 10, 8 p.m 51 

March 20, 8 p.m 52 

Chapter III. Stars that Rise and Set 55 

April 1 , 8 p.m 55 

April 10, 8 p.m 56 

April 20, 8 p.m 57 

May 1, 8 p.m 61 

May 10, 8 p.m 64 

May 20, 8 p.m 67 

June 1, 8 p.m 6S 

June 10, 8 p.m 70 

June 20, 8 p.m 72 

Chapter IV. Stars that Rise and Set 76 

July 1, 8 p.m 4 76 

July 10, 8 p.m 7S 

July 20, 8 p.m 80 

August 1, 8 p.m S2 

August 10, 8 p.m S4 

August 20, S p.m S6 

(9) 



IO CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

September 1 , 8 p.m 93 

September 10, 8 p.m 95 

September 20, 8 p.m 97 

Chapter V. Stars that Rise axd Set.. ....... 100 

October 1, S p.m 100 

October 10, 8 p.m 101 

October 20, 8 p.m 102 

November 1, 8 p.m 104 

November 10, 8 p.m., or December 1, 6 p.m.. .. 107 

November 20, 8 p.m 115 

December i, 8 p.m., or January 1, 6 p.m 117 

December 10, 8 p.m 1 20 

December 20, 8 p.m 121 

Chapter VI. Sun, Moox, and Plaxets 127 

The Sun 127 

The Moon 1 29 

Planets 1 33 

Mercury 134 

Venus 135 

Mars 137 

Jupiter 1 38 

Saturn 1 39 



VKjjfi -fgm- 




THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

* * * 

CHAPTER I. 

STARS THAT NEVER SET. 
i. 

THERE are some stars that never sink 
below our horizon. They maybe seen 
at any clear hour of any night in the year. 
The number of these stars varies with the 
place where the observer lives. The farther 
north the greater is the number of these 
never-setting stars. Some stars that never 
sink below the horizon at Boston do set to 
the people of Charleston. There is a very 
remarkable group of stars which, in whole 
or in part, are always visible all over the 
United States. Their shape is like this: 



These seven stars are rather bright, 

(ii) 



12 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

though not belonging to stars of the first 
class in brightness. They have been fa- 
mous in the history of all nations whose lit- 
erature has come down to us. Different 
names have been given to them. The most 
common one is the Bear. These seven 
stars alone were not likened to a bear, but 
other stars lying around them for a consid- 
erable space were joined with them. Greeks 
and Romans called them by this name. It 
is said that some tribes of our Indians 
called them by a word meaning "bear" in 
their languages. Let the first lesson of 
the young astronomer be to learn these 
seven stars. 

There is another common name, the 
Dipper, which may be familiar to some ; 
four stars making the dipper, and three the 
crooked handle. If you could watch this 
group for twenty-four hours, and if you 
could see them by daylight, you would notice 
that the handle of the Dipper pointed in 
all directions: at one time to vour right; 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 1 3 

then up toward a point above your head; 
then to your left; and again down toward 
the horizon. In a large portion of the Unit- 
ed States the handle is cut off by the hori- 
zon for a part of every twenty-four hours. 
These stars seem to turn round some point 
in the sky every twenty-four hours. Take 
the two stars forming the outer end of the 
Dipper. They point toward this spot. 
Start from the star at the bottom of the 
Dipper at its outer end; go to the star 
at the top ; now go on in the same direction 
about six times as far as the distance be- 
tween these two stars, and you will be very 
near a star more remarkable than any one 
of the seven in the Dipper. This is the 
North Star. It is not so bright as any one 
of the Dipper stars, but its position makes 
it in some respects the most remarkable 
star in the sky; and it is strange that this 
star is one of a group of smaller stars, ar- 
ranged in a smaller Dipper. It is at the 
end of the long, crooked handle of the 



14 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

small Dipper. The relative positions of 
the two Dippers are something like this : 



# North Star. 



* 



* 



Pointers. 



About the ist of November the large 
Dipper is low down on the horizon, at 
8 p.m., with its handle pointing to the left, 
as we face the north. Three months later 
(February i), at the same hour, it is high 
up in the north-east, with the handle point- 
ing downward. Three months later (May 
i) it is overhead, the handle pointing to our 
right. On the evening of August i, at 8 
o'clock, it is in the north-west, the handle 
pointing upward. Three months still later, 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 1 5 

at 8 o'clock p.m., it will be as it was one 
year before at the same day and hour. 

Again, let us begin at 8 p.m., November 
i. In six hours (2 a.m., November 2) the 
ladle will have made one-quarter of a revo- 
lution, and will be in the north-east, with 
the handle downward, as at 8 p.m., Febru- 
ary 1. Six hours later (8 a.m.) it will be 
overhead, as at 8 p.m., May 1. Six hours 
later (2 p.m.) it is in the north-west, as at 
8 p.m., August 1. And six hours later will 
bring us to 8 p'm., where we started. 
Strictly speaking, the ladle will be in the 
same position four minutes earlier each 
evening — that is, at four minutes before 8 
p.m., November 2, it will be exactly as it 
was at 8 p.m. on November 1. And so it is 
with all the stars, because of their rising 
four minutes earlier each evening. 

The constellation of which the Great 
Dipper is a part is frequently called by 
its Latin name, Ursa Major, the Great 
Bear. 



l6 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

Put a pin through the leaf at the North 
Star, and turn the leaf around, so that the 
upper part will go from right to left while 
the under part of the leaf goes from left to 
right. This will show you how the stars in 
the never-setting circle move around the 
North Star. Strictly speaking, they move 
around the North Pole, but this is so near 
the North Star that the difference is of no 
consequence at this stage in your star 
studies. 

The Astronomer Royal of England once 
said that there were many people in that 
country who did not know that the stars 
rise in the east and set in the west, just as 
the sun does. There may be persons of 
some intelligence who have never found 
this out for themselves. Let them notice 
the stars that are low down in the east soon 
after dark. Before bed-time take another 
look. Those stars are higher up. In the 
west those stars which you could see early 
in the evening near the horizon are not seen 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 1 7 

at bed-time, for they have sunk below the 
horizon. 

The North Pole is very near the North 
Star, and its height above the horizon is al- 
ways just equal to the latitude of the ob- 
server. Those who live in the thirtieth line 
of latitude have the North Pole exactly thir- 
ty degrees above the horizon — that is, just 
one-third of the way from the horizon to 
the point overhead. The North Star is near 
the Pole, so that the height of that star is 
nearly equal to the latitude of the place. A 
person living in Florida will see the North 
Star not quite one-third of the way up to 
the zenith. To those living in the middle 
belt of our country it will be more than one- 
third, while those living in Northern Maine 
see the North Star nearly half-way up be- 
tween the horizon and the point overhead. 

The two Dippers should be well learned, 
so that on any clear evening the young 
observer can readily find the North Star. 
First find the Great Dipper. Its two 



l8 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

" pointers" will show you the line point- 
ing to the North Star. Fortunately this 
star, though not very bright, has no bright- 
er star anywhere near it; so that it is eas- 
ily found. You will always find the two 
Dippers pointing in opposite directions. 
If the handle of the Big Dipper points to 
your right, the Little Dipper is turning its 
handle toward the left. 

The North Star is at the end of the handle 
of the Little Dipper, or at the end of the 
tale of the Little Bear. " Arctic" is from 
a Greek word meaning "bear." The Arc- 
tic Ocean is the one lying under the North- 
ern Bears. The North Star is sometimes 
called by another Greek word — Cynosure 
— which means "tail of the dog." The 
long curved handle of the Little Dipper 
was supposed to be like the tail of a dog. 
The North Star is often called Polaris. 
The constellation in which it is found is 
sometimes called by its Latin name, Ursa 
Minor, the Smaller Bear. 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 



10 the North Star. 



J 9 



The sad and solemn night 

Has yet her multitude of cheerful fires: 
The glorious host of light 

Walk the dark hemisphere till she retires. 
All through her silent watches, gliding slow, 
Her constellations come, and climb the heavens, and go 

And thou dost see them rise, 

Star of the pole! and thou dost see them set. 
Alone, in thy cold skies, 

Thou keep'st thy old, unmoving station yet; 
Nor join'st the dances of that glittering train, 
Nor dipp'st thy virgin orb in the blue western main. 

And therefore bards of old, 

Sages and hermits of the solemn wood, 
Did in thy beams behold 

A beauteous type of that unchanging good, 
That bright, eternal beacon, by whose ray 

The voyager of life should shape his heedful way. 

— Bryant. 



II. 

The Little Dipper can be seen in all its 
parts from every spot in the United States, 
on any clear evening and at every hour in 



20 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the evening. This singular little group is 
in the center of our never-setting stars. 

The whole of the Great Dipper can be 
seen from the northern part of our country, 
through the whole night, at every season of 
the year. In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, 
and other States on the same line, and in 
all States north of that line, the handle of 
the Great Dipper, when lowest, is not cut off 
by the horizon. But in all States south of 
these some part is hidden by the horizon 
during a part of every twenty-four hours. 
The farther south we go the larger the por- 
tion of the handle that is hidden. When we 
reach the extreme southern point of Florida, 
not only the handle, but the whole of the 
Dipper is hidden for a short time. But in 
the greater portion of our Southern States 
enough of the Great Dipper can be seen, at 
any clear hour of the night, for the young 
" star-gazer " to find the North Star by its 
help. 

That point on the horizon just below the 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 21 

North Pole is exactly the north point : but 
for our purpose we may consider the point 
of our horizon below the North Star to be 
north. When the north point of the hori- 
zon is found, the other points — east, west 5 
and south — are known at once. 

The learner who knows the two Dippers 
(or Bears) well has made a good begin- 
ning. Clear knowledge grows rapidly and 
easily. 

To the Great Bear (Ursa Major). 

With what a stately and majestic step 

That glorious constellation of the north 

Treads its eternal 'circle ! going forth 

Its princely way, among the stars, in slow 

And silent brightness. Mighty one, all hail! 

I joy to see thee on thy glowing path 

Walk, like some stout and girded giant: stern, 

Unwearied, resolute, whose toiling foot 

Disdains to loiter on its destined way. 

The other tribes forsake their midnight track, 

And rest their weary orbs beneath the wave ; 

But thou dost never close thy burning eye, 

Nor stay thy steadfast step. 

— Henry J J 'arc, Jr. 



22 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

III. 

There are other constellations in the cir- 
cle of never-setting stars. The most strik- 
ing one is Cassiopeia, the finest portion of 
which is always visible in the middle and 
upper parts of our country. Start from the 
star where the handle of the Great Dipper 
joins the bowl, and go to the North Star. 
Now continue this line about as far beyond, 
and you will reach Cassiopeia's Chair, as 
the constellation is usually called. There 
are four stars forming a dipper, and others 
for the broken handle. These four stars 
are supposed to form the body of a chair, 
while the others are the back. One of the 
four stars (the one nearest the North Star) 
is quite faint, being not above the third 
magnitude. Leaving this out of the figure, 
the others form a large W, with the sides 
pulled out wider than usual, and the open 
parts of the letter toward the North Star. 
This constellation is not hard to find, as it 
is always as far from the North Star as the 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 23 

Great Dipper is, but on the opposite side. 
Facing the north, if the Dipper is to your 
right, Cassiopeia is to your left. When the 
Dipper is on the horizon, Cassiopeia is up 
on the meridian, above the North Star, the 
Dipper being on the meridian belozv it. 

When the Great Dipper is in the north- 
east (as it is about 8 o'clock p.m. in the mid- 
die of February), with its handle pointing 
downward toward the horizon, the Camel- 
opard (Giraffe) is on our meridian, above 
the North Star. West of that constellation 
is Cepheus, and then a part of the Dragon. 
Notice that these> constellations (all lving 
partly within our never-setting circle) come 
in alphabetical order: Bear, Camelopard, 
Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Dragon. There is no 
star of the first magnitude within our circle 
of never-setting stars, except to those in the 
northern part of Maine, where two first-class 
stars, Arided and Capella, are always visi- 
ble. There are not many second-class stars 
within this circle. It is easier to learn the 



24 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

few brighter stars that are to be seen at all 
times. The stars in the Great Dipper are 
all second-class stars, except the one where 
the handle joins the Dipper. It is only of 
the third magnitude. 

The North Star is of the second magni- 
tude. All other stars in the Little Dipper 
are smaller, except the two on the end of 
the Dipper farthest from the North Star. 
These two are known as the " guards of the 
pole/' They are nearly one-third of the 
way from the North Star to the last star in 
the handle of the Great Dipper, and the 
line joining these two " guards of the pole " 
is about parallel to the line of the middle 
joint of that handle. 

These Bears should be learned well. At 
any hour of any night they can be seen. 
The other constellations near them (Camel- 
opard, Cepheus, and Dragon) are not wor- 
thy of much attention now. You may easily 
learn more about them hereafter. 

The phrase, " stars of the first magni- 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 25 

tude," has no reference to the size of stars, 
but only to their brightness to our eyes. 
All stars seen by the naked eye are roughly 
divided into six classes. The sixth class is 
made up of the faintest stars which our un- 
aided eyes can see. The fifth class is com- 
posed of those a little brighter; and so on, 
up to the very brightest, which compose 
the first class, or stars of the first magni- 
tude. 

As there is around our North Pole a cir- 
cle of never-setting stars, so around the 
South Pole there is an equal circle of never- 
rising stars — that is, there are stars near the 
South Pole which we can never see, unless 
we travel southward. In that circle there 
are stars of the first magnitude. Those 
persons living in Brazil never see the Great 
Bear, but they see some fine constellations 
which we do not see. 

At any one time scarcely three thousand 
stars of all sizes are visible to the naked 
eye. The common estimate of the number 



26 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

is very erroneous. Telescopes widen the 
range of vision, so that the number of stars 
is counted only by millions. The famous 
Lick telescope (California) has its glass 
three feet in diameter. An immense eye 
like that, turned intelligently to the sky, 
must see many hidden wonders and glories. 

But the reader must not be discouraged 
because he has no fine telescope in reach. 
A good eye can see many wonderful things 
in the skies. It has been said by those able 
to judge wisely that " the use of a telescope 
lessens the beauty of the appearances seen 
without one. Telescopes are useful means 
of acquiring knowledge, when used by per- 
sons who understand how to use them to 
good advantage ; but they add little or noth- 
ing to the grandeur and beauty of the sky 
and stars." (Arthur Searle.) 

The ancients numbered nearly fifty con- 
stellations of all sizes. Modern astronomers 
have about doubled the number by picking 
up scattered stars not included in the lead- 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 2*] 

ing constellations. Many of these are not 
worth the attention of beginners. Only 
those of some importance will be noticed in 
these pages. 

In addition to names given to groups of 
stars, individual names have been given to 
about one hundred stars, embracing all of 
the first magnitude, many of the second, 
and a few of the third. It will be sufficient 
to our purpose if the reader will become fa- 
miliar with the names of those in the first 
class. 

The number of stars of the first magni- 
tude is not positively fixed, as there is no 
sharp dividing line between the grades. 
Some astronomers rank only a dozen stars 
in the first class, while others increase the 
number to twenty. Several of these first- 
class stars are hidden from us in this lati- 
tude.. 

Here is a list of the stars of the first 
magnitude which can be seen by the inhab- 
itants of the United States. The relative 



28 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

brightness is difficult to estimate exactly, 
but our list is arranged in the order of 
brightness as some good authorities place 
them : 

Sirius, in Canis Major. See date, Feb- 
ruary 10. 

Canopus, in Argo Navis, February 10. 

Arcturus, in Bootes, May 10. 

Rigel, in Orion, January 20. 

Capella, in Auriga, February 1. 

Vega, in Syra, August 20. 

Procyon, in Canis Minor, March 1. 

Betelgeuse, in Orion, January 20. 

Achernar, in Eridanus, December 1. 

Aldebaran, in Taurus, January 1. 

Antares, in Scorpio, July 20. 

Altair, in Aquila, September 20. 

Spica, in Virgo, April 20. 

Fomalhaut, in Southern Fish, October 20. 

Pollux, in Gemini, February 20. 

Regulus, in Leo, March 20. 

The number of stars in each class in- 
creases rapidly as we go to lower classes. 



STARS THAT NEVER SET. 29 

The number of stars of the second magnitude 
is perhaps four times as great as in the first; 
while the third class has perhaps three or 
four times as many as the second, and so 
on. 

As the Great Dipper is so conspicuous, it 
may be well to give the names of its seven 
remarkable stars, though only of the sec- 
ond magnitude, except Megrez, which is of 
the third : 



Ackair. ' Alioth. 



Phegda. Merak. 



Dubhe and Merak are the pointers. Their 
line of direction (from Merak to Dubhe), 
continued, always passes near the North 
Star. 

Look closely, on any clear night, at the 
star Mizar, at the break in the handle of 
the Dipper. You can see a faint star very 
near it. The Arabians call it Alcor, "the 



30 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

test," perhaps meaning that it required a 
good eye to see it. An ordinary eye can 
see it now, which leads some astronomers 
to suppose that Alcor is gradually becoming 
brighter. 

For one star differeth from another star 

In glory and in use ; and all are stars 

Of the illimitable house of God; 

And every one has its own name and place 

Distinguished; and some special word is given 

For each to utter in the mystic song 

Which is not found in speech of humankind, 

Which is not understood by human heart. 

— Mrs. Hamilton King. 




CHAPTER II. 

STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 

# * * 

January i, 8 p.m., 

Or February i, 6 p.m. 

THE meridian is a line beginning at the 
northern point of our horizon, passing 
up through the North Pole (very near the 
North Star), and through the point in the 
sky immediately overhead, and reaching to 
the southern point of the horizon. It thus 
divides all the visible sky into two equal 
parts. Our zenith is the point in the merid- 
ian exactly overhead. 

Let us go out under the clear sky at this 
hour — January i, 8 p.m. A few degrees 
south-east of our zenith are the Seven 
Stars : 

The group of sister-stars, which mothers love 
To show their wondering babes — the gentle seven. 

— Bryatit. 

This well-known cluster will do very well 

(31) 



32 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

to begin with. Though called the Seven 
Stars, most eyes see but six, the seventh be- 
ing not quite bright enough for a common eye 
to discover. There are no very bright stars 
in the group, the brightest one being only of 
the third magnitude, the others of the fourth 
and fifth. Very few stars as faint as these 
have individual names ; but the brightest is 
called Alcyone, and the others have names 
borrowed from Grecian fables. The Greek 
name for the group is Pleiades, from a word 
meaning "to sail," as the sailors regulated 
their voyages by the rising or setting of 
these stars. A few unusually good eyes see 
eight or nine stars in the Pleiades. There 
are several stars in the group which are not 
quite visible to common eyes. A small spy- 
glass will show other stars in this group, 
while in telescopes they are counted by 
scores or even hundreds. 

It is necessary to know something about 
measuring the distance between stars, as 
they appear to us. This cannot be done by 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 33 

inches, feet, or miles. It can only be done 
by degrees. The two " pointer stars" in 
the end of the Great Dipper are about five 
degrees apart. The two in the bottom of 
the Dipper are twice as far apart, or ten 
degrees. These instances will help you to 
measure other distances. Now start from 
the Seven Stars, and go toward the south- 
east fifteen degrees, and you will reach a 
bright, reddish star of the first magnitude — 
Aldebaran. It is at the end of one of two 
rows of stars which together make the letter 
V, the sharp point being turned toward the 
south-west. The stars in this singular group 
are called Hyades, from a word meaning 
"rain," as the Greeks supposed storms to 
attend certain risings of this constellation. 

Several centuries before the Christian 
era the stars were divided into fanciful 
groups, bearing names of animals or men 
and women, and in some instances of the 
gods of the ancients. This division is of 
very little use to astronomers, but it is still 



34 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

used for common purposes. In geography 
when we call Italy " a boot," and tell a pu- 
pil that Otranto is in the heel, he knows at 
once where to look. In some such way 
these fanciful constellations may be used. 
Aldebaran is in the eye of the Bull, and 
the Seven Stars are in his neck. The Bull 
has no body. The ancients only gave him 
shoulders, fore-legs, and head. The Plei- 
ades are in his neck, the Hyades in his face, 
with Aldebaran for his eye. Many of the 
stars bear Arabic names. Aldebaran is said 
to be an Arabic word, meaning "the hind- 
most one." This bright star seems to drive 
the Seven Stars before it, as they all pass 
from east to west across the sky. 

The Pleiades rise before bed-time about 
the first of October. They rise (as all the 
stars do) four minutes earlier each evening, 
so that by the latter part of November they 
rise about sunset. They can be seen at 
early hours until May, when they are too 
close to the sun to be seen. All through 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 35 

fall, winter, and spring this beautiful group 
can be seen at convenient hours. 

The boundary lines of constellations are 
not as clearly defined as those of States on 
our maps ; still it mav be useful to give the 
neighboring constellations. Taurus is bound- 
ed on the north by Auriga and Perseus, on 
the east by the Milky Way and Orion, on 
the south by the whale, and on the west by 
Aries. 

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, 
Or loose the bands of Orion? — Job xxxviii. ji* 



January io, 8 p.m. 
Immediately or very nearly overhead is a 
cluster of stars called the head of Medusa. 
Starting from this point, and going toward 
the North Star, for fifteen or twenty de- 
grees we are passing through Perseus, who 
carried Medusa's head in his hand. The 
finest part of Perseus lies a little to the left 
of our meridian as we face the north. Be- 
tween his body and Cassiopeia (farther to 



36 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

our left) is a bright patch like a spot of the 
Milky Way. This is a famous nebula in 
the sword-handle of Perseus. A line from 
the last star in the handle of the Great Dip- 
per, carried through the North Star and 
prolonged as far beyond, will lead to this 
nebula. You cannot well trace this line at 
this hour, as the handle of the Dipper is now 
cut off by the horizon to parts of our coun- 
try; but you may remember this and trace 
the line at another time. Try to learn the 
chief points in Perseus. There are no stars 
of the first magnitude in Perseus, and only 
one of the second and four of the third; 
but lying in or near the Milky Way there is 
a "brilliant festoon of stars" which it will 
pay you to look up. 

The brightest star in Medusa's head is a 
very remarkable star. At regular intervals 
(not quite three days in length) it rapidly 
changes from the second magnitude to the 
fourth, and back again. The Arabs called 
it Algol, the ghoul or ghost. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. ^7 

Perseus is bounded on the north by Cas- 
siopeia and the Giraffe, east by Auriga, 
south by Taurus, and west by Andromeda. 
Perseus rises (far round to the north-east) 
at sunset, about the ist of October, and is 
seen at convenient hours until May. 

Look how the floor of heaven 
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold : 
There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st 
But in his motion like an angel sings, 
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubims; 
Such harmony is in immortal souls; 
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay 
Doth grossly close us in, we cannot hear it. 

— Shakespeare, 

January 20, 8 p.m. 
Our meridian at this hour passes through 
Taurus, with the Seven Stars on our right 
and Aldebaran in the Hyades on our left. 
A little to the south-east is Orion, the most 
striking constellation, in some respects, that 
we ever see. If you once trace clearly his 
strong outlines, you will not forget them. 
Let us try to do this to-night. 



38 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

Go from the Seven Stars to Aldebaran 
(about fifteen degrees), and then continue 
the straight line about fifteen degrees far- 
ther. This brings you to a bright star which 
is the western shoulder of Orion. Eight 
degrees to the east is a still brighter star, in 
his eastern shoulder. About eight degrees 
south of these are three stars not so bright, 
in a straight line, about three degrees in 
length; these form Orion's belt. Eight 
degrees still farther south are two bright 
stars about eight degrees apart; these are 
Orion's feet. Now get the four bright stars, 
as in the corners of a rectangle, and the 
three in the middle well fixed in your out- 
line. A few degrees above the shoulders 
are three very small stars, for his head. Be- 
low his belt are several small stars, to form 
his sword hanging from the belt. The 
great hunter, Orion, is holding up his large 
shield of lion's skin to defend himself from 
the Bull, which is rushing on him. This 
shield is traced bv a half-circle of small 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 39 

stars bent toward Aldebaran. With a little 
patience, good eye-sight, and a vivid imag- 
ination you can see a magnificent picture of 
a giant hunter. In the other hand he holds 
a club, which reaches up in the Milky Way. 

The heavenly equator (which is the earth- 
ly equator prolonged to the sky) passes 
through Orion's belt. His shoulders can 
be seen to the North Pole of the earth, and 
his feet to the South Pole. Some portion 
of this splendid constellation can be seen 
from every spot on our earth's surface. By 
the arrangement and brightness of his stars 
Orion has been famous in all ages. The 
oldest writers, sacred and secular, speak of 
him in prose and poetry. He is mentioned 
in the book of Job and by Homer. 

His eastern shoulder and western foot are 
stars of the first magnitude. Betelgeuse, 
the shoulder star, is reddish: while Rigel, 
the foot star, has a bluish tinge. When 
Orion is near the horizon (where stars 
twinkle most), you will be struck with the 



4<D THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

beautiful play of colors if you will run your 
eyes rapidly from one of these stars to the 
other. The other shoulder and foot stars 
are of the second magnitude, as are also the 
three belt stars. Orion is one of the chief 
ornaments of our winter skies. He can be 
seen at early hours, from the middle of Oc- 
tober to the first of May. 

There are more than seventy stars of 
all sizes visible to the naked eye in Orion. 
The telescope of course multiplies his won- 
ders and glories. On a clear, moonless 
night look very steadily at the middle little 
star in the sword. It seems to have a haze 
around it. To that hazy spot the largest 
telescopes in the world are often turned with 
anxious longings to explore its hidden won- 
ders. Immediately under Orion's feet there 
are a few small stars, forming the little con- 
stellation Lepus, the Hare. Being a great 
hunter, Orion is followed by his Dog, with 
the flashing Sirius in his mouth, as we may 
see more particularly hereafter. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 41 

Orion is bounded by the Milky Way and 
Auriga on the north, by the Unicorn and 
Milky Way on the east, by the Great Dog 
and Hare on the south, and by Taurus and 
the Whale on the west. 

The Arabs call Orion "Algebar," the 
Giant: 

Sirius was rising in the east, 

And slow ascending, one by one, 
The kindling constellations shine. 
Begirt with many a blazing star, 
Shone the great giant, Algebar — 

Orion, hunter of the beast! 

His sword hung gleaming by his side, 
And on his arm the lion's hide 
Scattered across the midnight air 
The golden radiance of its hair. 

— L on g -fellow. 

February i, 8 p.m., 

Or January^ i, 10 p.m. 
At this hour Auriga is on our meridian 
and in our zenith, his feet being above Flor- 
ida and his head above the great lakes. A 
very bright star is in his breast. It can be 



42 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

easily found, as it is the brightest near our 
zenith at this hour. This star of the first 
magnitude is called Capella, "a kid," as 
Auriga is represented on maps and globes 
as carrying a kid in his arms. About eight 
degrees east of this star is one not quite so 
bright, in the other shoulder. Nearly twen- 
ty degrees south of these are two stars 
(about eight degrees apart) for the feet of 
Auriga. With these four stars as an outline, 
you can form a very good plan of Auriga. 

Capella is supposed by some to be the 
brightest star north of the celestial equator, 
though there are some others to dispute this 
claim. To some this bright star seems to 
have a bluish tinge. In the extreme north- 
ern part of Maine this brilliant star can be 
seen at every clear hour through every night 
in the year, it being within the circle of 
never-setting stars to those living in that lat- 
itude. In the middle and lower portions of 
our country it can be seen at convenient 
hours from the middle of September to June. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 43 

On our meridian, nearly twenty degrees 
above the southern horizon, there is a star 
of second magnitude, with smaller stars 
around it, forming the constellation Colum- 
ba, the Dove. 

Auriga, the Charioteer, is bounded on the 
north by the Giraffe (Camelopard), east by 
Gemini and the Lynx, south by Taurus and 
Orion, west by Perseus and the Milky Way. 
This constellation rises about sunset (east of 
north) early in November, and sets soon 
after sunset, about the middle of June. 

Capella passes immediately overhead to 
the inhabitants of Maine. When Capella is 
sinking in the north-west, Antares is rising 
in the south-east. 

Praise ye the Lord ; 

For it is good to sing praises unto our God. 

He telleth the number of the stars; 
He calleth them all by their names. 
Great is our Lord, and of great power: 
His understanding is infinite. 

— Psalmist. 



44 the young astronomer. 

February io, 8 p.m. 
Near our meridian, about one-third of the 
way from the southern horizon to our ze- 
nith, is the very brightest star in all the sky. 
This is Sirius, the Dog Star, so called be- 
cause it is in the mouth of the Great Dog 
which is represented on maps and globes as 
sitting up, the bright stars for several de- 
grees below Sirius forming his body. This 
brilliant star has sometimes been seen by 
keen eyes when the sun was shining bright- 
ly. No other star can compare with it in 
brightness. Different writers make differ- 
ent lists of first-class stars, varying in num- 
ber and in the order of relative brightness, 
but Sirius heads every list. At one time, 
centuries ago, this star was red; for a long 
time it was white, and more recently it 
seems to some that it has a greenish tinge. 
Watch it closely, some clear evening, when 
it is near the horizon, and determine for 
yourself. When this star rose about sun- 
rise, the ancients thought the extremely hot 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 45 

days of midsummer were due to the com- 
bined heat of the sun and Sirius. They 
therefore called these the Dog Days. Then 
arose strange stories about dogs going mad 
at this season. But all this is now only a 
curious piece of history scarcely worth re- 
peating. 

Orion's belt is about half-way between 
Sirius and Aldebaran, and the three stars 
point nearly toward these two. This belt 
is about three degrees in length. For this 
reason it and the sword are sometimes called 
the "Ell and Yard." 

When Sirius is ,on the meridian, another 
very bright star of the first magnitude may 
be seen by those living in the Southern 
States. This is Canopus, the brightest star 
in Argo Navis, a very large constellation, 
the greater part of which is always below 
our horizon. In Florida and the Gulf 
States it can be seen, as it rises a little way 
above the southern point of the horizon. 
Look for it when Sirius is on the meridian. 



46 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

The large Dog (Canis Major) is bounded 
on the north by the Unicorn (Monoceros), 
east by the Unicorn and Argo Navis, south 
by Argo Navis, and west by the Hare. 

This constellation rises in the south-east, 
at sunset, about the middle of February, 
and sets with the sun in the latter part of 
June. 

The matchless Sirius never rises high in 
our latitude, scarcely reaching up one-third 
of the distance from the southern horizon to 
our zenith; but it is a conspicuous object in 
our evening sky for several months begin- 
ning with the year. 

Hail, mighty Sirius, monarch of the suns! 
May Ave in this poor planet speak with thee? 
Say, art thou nearer to his throne -whose nod 
Doth govern all things? Hast thou heard 
One whisper through the open gate of heaven 
When the pale stars shall fall, and yon blue vault 
Be as a shriveled scroll? — Mrs. Sigourney. 

Notice that Sirius rises in the south-east 
about the time when Vega is setting in the 
north-west. 



stars that rise and set. 47 

February 20, 8 p.m. 

Almost immediately overhead is the con- 
stellation Gemini, the Twins. There are 
only a few bright stars in Gemini, yet on 
the whole it is a striking constellation, as 
some neighboring groups are rather blank. 
The heads of the Twins are marked by two 
bright stars about live degrees apart, the 
line joining them pointing north-west and 
south-east. They are about midway be- 
tween Orion and the Great Dipper. The 
more northern one of these two stars is 
Castor; the other, Pollux. This latter star 
is low down in the, list of first-class stars. 
Castor is of the second magnitude. The 
feet of the Twins are marked by faint stars, 
in a line (nearly parallel to the line of Castor 
and Pollux) lying on the eastern edge of the 
Milky Way. 

Gemini is bounded on the north by the 
Lynx, east by Cancer, south by the Milky 
Way and Unicorn, west by Auriga. It is 
the most northern constellation in the eclip- 



48 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

tic. It rises in the east in January, at sun- 
set; and sets soon after sunset in the long- 
est days of June. Through winter, spring, 
and early summer months this striking con- 
stellation can be seen. Castor passes over 
the zenith of places in the latitude of Charles- 
ton, and Pollux to those living in Middle 
Florida. 

Paul sailed from "the island called Mel- 
ita," in a ship "whose sign was Castor and 
Pollux." "The figures of the twin breth- 
ren were doubtless painted in the customary 
form, with stars above their heads, on each 
side of the bow of the ship. The thought, 
too, of an Egyptian ship, with heathen sym- 
bols, bearing the gospel to Italy is suggest- 
ive of many interesting reflections." (Dean 
Howson.) 

The Lynx is a secondary constellation, 
covering a good space, but with no stars of 
even the third grade. It lies above Gemini, 
and partly between the Great Bear and Gi- 
raffe. A line from the heads of the Twins 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 49 

to the North Star passes through the body 
of the Lynx, his head lying to the west. 

Go, wing thy flight from star to star; 

From world to luminous world, as far 

As the universe spreads its flaming wall; 
Take all the pleasures of all the spheres, 
And multiply each through endless years 

One moment of heaven is worth them all. 

— Tom Moore. 



March i, 8 p.m., 

Or February i, io p.m. 

Start from the zenith, and go down the 
meridian toward the south. About twenty- 
five degrees below- Castor and Pollux the 
meridian passes very near a bright star of 
the first magnitude — Procyon, in the con- 
stellation the Little Dog. Procyon means 
'•before the Dog." In higher latitudes 
Procyon rises in the east before Sirius, in 
the Large Dog. With us the two bright 
stars rise about the same time. The Little 
Dog is a very small constellation. He is 
standing on the back of the Unicorn, Mon- 



5<D THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

oceros. Our meridian now cuts the Uni- 
corn through the middle, his head extend- 
ing westward to the Milky Way, touching 
Orion, and his body about as far east- 
ward. 

Procyon, Sirius (now farther down to the 
right of the meridian), and Betelgeuse (in 
Orion's eastern shoulder) form a large, 
equal-sided triangle of five stars. Each 
side of this triangle is about twenty-five de- 
grees in length. 

At this season of the year, when the moon 
is not shining, look in the west after sunset 
for the zodiacal light. This is a singular 
cone of faint light, with its wide base rest- 
ing on the horizon, and its top reaching up 
toward the zenith. It can be seen onlv at 
this season of the year, in the evening. The 
axis or central line of the cone lies along 
the zodiac. 

In September and October the zodiacal 
light may be seen in the east, before sun- 
rise. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 5 1 

O how canst thou renounce the boundless store 
Of charms which nature to her votary yields: 

The warbling woodland, the resounding shore, 
The pomp of groves, and garniture of fields ; 

And all that echoes to the song of even, 

All that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields, 

And all the dread magnificence of heaven — 

O how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven? 

— Beattie. 



March io, 8 p.m. 
Castor and Pollux, the two bright stars in 
the heads of the Twins, are near our zenith. 
A line from the northern star, Castor, 
through Pollux, and continued four degrees, 
will enter the western edge of the constel- 
lation Cancer, or Crab. This is a zodi- 
ac constellation, through which the moon 
passes every month. It has no bright stars. 
There is a remarkable cluster of small stars, 
which may be seen on a clear night, when 
the moon is not shining. Perhaps you can 
find it in this way: Begin at Sirius, now 
low down west of the meridian, and go to 
Procyon, nearly on our meridian, and go on 



52 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

as far beyond Procyon. You will reach 
the cluster in Cancer called the Bee Hive. 
Gemini and Cancer lie farther north than 
any other zodiac constellations. 

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, 
The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained ; 
W T hat is man, that thou art mindful of him? 
And the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

—David. 

Epitaph on the tomb of Daniel Webster, 
written by himself: 

Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief. Philosoph- 
ical arguments, especially that drawn from the vastness 
of the universe in comparison with the apparent insig- 
nificance of this globe, have sometimes shaken my 
reason for the faith which is in me; but my heart has 
always assured and re-assured me that the gospel of 
Jesus Christ must be a divine reality. The Sermon on 
the Mount cannot be a merely human production. 
This belief enters into the very depths of my con- 
science. The history of man proves it. 



March 20, 8 p.m. 
Cancer is nearly in our zenith. To the 
east lies the Lion. About thirty degrees 



STARS THAT RISE ANP SET. 53 

south-east of our zenith is a star of the first 
magnitude. This is Regulus, in the breast 
of the Lion. About twenty-five degrees 
east of Regulus is another star, not quite so 
bright — Deneb, in the Lion's tail. This is 
a large constellation, containing nearly one 
hundred stars visible to the naked eye. Be- 
ginning at Regulus (the Lion's heart), and 
going toward the north-east about five de- 
grees, you find a fainter star, from which a 
singular curve of small stars may be traced 
around toward the north-east, forming the 
Reap Hook, in the Lion's breast and 
neck. 

The Lion rises at sunset about the middle 
of March; and sets soon after sunset, in the 
latter part of July. 

North of the Lion there are a few faint 
stars, forming the smaller Lion. Be- 
low the larger Lion there are several small 
constellations in a barren part of the sky. 
The Virgin is east of Leo, and Cancer 
west. 



54 



THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 



O who can lift above a careless look, 

While such bright scenes as these his thoughts en- 
gage; 
And doubt, while reading from so fair a book, 

That God's own finger traced the glowing page; 
Or deem the radiance of yon blue expanse, 
With all its starry hosts, the careless work of chance? 

— Mrs. Welbx. 



^ 



CHAPTER III. 

STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 

April i, 8 p.m. 

THE Great Dipper is high in the north- 
east. This Dipper is only a part of the 
Great Bear, whose head is now on our me- 
ridian, north of our zenith, and his fore feet 
come almost to our zenith. The Lion's 
head reaches nearly to our meridian, while 
his body extends for thirty degrees toward 
the east. Start from Deneb, in the Lion's 
tail, and go toward the last star in the Dip- 
per handle. When about one-third of the 
way you pass near a faint cluster of stars 
called Berenice's Hair (Coma Berenices). 
In moonlight this cannot be seen, but on a 
clear, moonless night you may see it to ad- 
vantage. About half-way from this group 
to the last star in the Dipper handle you 
pass a fine star of the third magnitude, in 

(55) 



56 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the body of one of the little Dogs with which 
Bootes is chasing the great Bear around the 
pole. The English astronomers have named 
this star Cor Caroli (the Heart of Charles), 
after their unfortunate king, Charles I. 

There they stand, 
Shining in order, like a living hymn 
Written in light. — Willis. 



April 10, 8 p.m. 
About half-way from our zenith to the 
south point of the horizon our meridian 
passes very near a star of the second mag- 
nitude. Being in rather a dreary region of 
the sky, this star may be readily found. It 
is the heart of the Water Snake (Hydra). 
This constellation has no other bright star. 
It winds about for many degrees, its head 
being under Cancer, while its body reaches 
to our south-eastern horizon. Nearly half- 
way up in our south-eastern horizon there 
are a few stars of the third magnitude, form- 
ing the Crow (Corvus), which stands on 
the Water Snake. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 57 

The Milky Way lies above the western 
horizon, beginning at the southern point in 
the constellation Argo Navis. It passes near 
Sirius (low down in the south-west), and 
then above Orion and below Bootes, cross- 
ing Perseus and sinking below the horizon 
in the north-west, in the constellation Cas- 
siopeia. This beautiful " river of light " va- 
ries in width and in brightness at different 
stages in its course. 

Touched by a light that hath no name, 

A glory never sung; 
Alike on sky and mountain wall 

Are God's great pictures hung. 

— Whittier. 



April 20, 8 p.m. 
A little below our zenith the meridian 
passes through the Lion. This is the large 
Lion. Above him, on our zenith, is the 
Smaller Lion, made up of a few stars, none 
of them above third magnitude. He lies 
between the larger Lion and the feet of the 
Great Bear. Over in the east, about half- 



58 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

way between the meridian and horizon, is 
the constellation Virgo. About twenty de- 
grees from the horizon is the brightest star 
in Virgo. This is Spica, being represented 
on maps and globes as a sheaf in her hand. 
This star of the first magnitude may be read- 
ily found, as there is no bright star near it. 
Spica in the east, Arcturus in the north-east, 
and Deneb (in the Lion's tail) a little east 
of the meridian, form a large, equal-sided 
triangle; or Spica, with Denel and a bright 
star in the Crow (Corvus), in the south- 
east, form another large triangle. 

Go from Spica toward the Dipper, and 
when nearly half-way you come to a rather 
bright star, marking the other hand of Virgo. 
Her feet are toward the eastern horizon, 
and her head reaches nearly to the Lion's 
tail. 

This fine constellation can be seen, at 
early hours, from February to September. 

Virgo is bounded on the north by Como, 
Berenice, and Auriga, east by Libra, south 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 59 

by the Crow and other small constellations, 
and west by Leo. 

In 1847 Daniel Webster visited several of 
the Southern States. From Richmond, Va., 
he wrote a letter to his sister, from which 
we copy a few paragraphs for their beauty: 

Richmond, April 29, five o'clock a.m., 1847. 

It is morning, and a morning sweet and fresh and 
delightful. Everybody knows the morning in its met- 
aphorical sense, applied to so many objects and on so 
many occasions. The health, strength, and beauty of 
early years lead us to call that period the " morning of 
life." Of a lovely young woman we say that she is as 
" bright as the morning;" and no one doubts why Lu- 
cifer is called "son of the morning." But the morning 
itself few people, inhabitants of cities, know any thing 
about. Among all our good people of Boston not one 
in a thousand sees the sun rise once a year. Thev know 
nothing of the morning. Their idea of it is that it is 
that part of the day which comes along after a cup of 
coffee and a beefsteak or a piece of toast. With them 
morning is not a new issuing of light ; a new bursting 
forth of the sun ; a new waking up of all that has life 
from a sort of temporary death, to behold again the 
works of God, the heavens and the earth. It is onlv 
a part of the domestic day, belonging to breakfast, to 



60 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

reading the newspaper, answering notes, sending the 
children to school, and giving orders for dinner. The 
first faint streak of light, the earliest purpling of the 
east which the lark springs up to greet, and the deeper 
and deeper coloring into orange and red, till at length 
the "glorious sun is seen, regent of day." This they 
never enjoy, for this they never see. 

Beautiful descriptions of the " morning " abound in 
all languages, but they are the strongest, perhaps, in 
those of the East, where the sun is so often an object of 
worship. King David speaks of taking to himself "the 
wings of the morning." This is highly poetical and 
beautiful. The " wings of the morning " are tbe beams 
of the rising sun. Rays of light are wings. It is thus 
said that the Sun of righteousness shall arise " with heal- 
ing in his wings," a rising sun which shall scatter light 
and health and joy throughout the universe. Milton 
has fine descriptions of morning, but not so many as 
Shakespeare, from whose writings pages of the most 
beautiful images, all founded on the glory of the morn- 
ing, might be filled. 

I never thought that Adam had much advantage 
of us from having seen the world while it was new. 
The manifestations of the power of God, like his mer- 
cies, are " new every morning" and " fresh every even- 
ing." We see as fine risings of the sun as ever Adam 
saw, and its risings are as much a miracle now as thev 
were in his day; and I think a great deal more, because 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 6l 

it is now a part of the miracle that for thousands and 
thousands of years he has come to his appointed time, 
without the variation of a millionth part of a second. 
Adam could not tell how this might be. 

I know the morning. I am acquainted with it, and 
I love it, fresh and sweet as it is, a daily new creation 
breaking forth and calling all that have life and breath 
and being to new adoration, new enjoyments, and new 
gratitude. 

May i, 8 p.m. 
Tennyson, describing an event in May, 
says: 

It fell on a time of year 
When the shining daffodil dies, and the Charioteer 
And starry Gemini hang like glorious crowns 
Over Orion's grave, low down in the west. 

Look over in the west to-night. Orion is 
sinking into his western grave. Part of this 
brilliant constellation is already below the 
horizon. Half-way up to the meridian you 
can see the "starry Gemini." The feet of 
the Twins reach to the upper edge of the 
Milky Way. They will soon plunge beneath 
the horizon, feet foremost. Over in the 
north-east is the brilliant Capella, in Auriga, 



62 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the Charioteer. Low down in the south- 
west, very near the horizon, is Sirius, the 
flaming Dog Star; and very near the north- 
eastern horizon is Vega, in the Lyre. High 
up in the east is Arcturus; and south of 
Arcturus about thirty degrees (the line 
joining them being now nearly parallel to 
the horizon) is Spica, in the Virgin's hand. 
Thus we have a number of brilliant stars in 
view at once. Some of them are near the 
horizon, where they twinkle or scintillate 
more than when higher up. This adds to 
the beauty of the stars, and is worth noticing 
particularly. You may see different tinges 
of color in the flashing, beautiful orbs. At 
come stages or conditions of the atmosphere 
this twinkling is more striking than at oth- 
ers. It has been supposed that some of the 
brightest stars twinkle less than others, ow- 
ing to their various colors, perhaps — Vega, 
for example, twinkling less than Arcturus. 
When a star is represented in a picture, 
it is not bv a round dot; but there are cor- 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 63 

ners, angles, or wings added. This is to 
make the picture like that which we see 
when we look at a bright star. The Egyp- 
tians always made five wings when repre- 
senting stars. It is strange that different 
persons see different numbers. Humboldt 
always saw eight, w T hile some of his friends 
saw three or four on the upper part of the 
star, and none below. How many do you 
see? 

In places near the equator the stars twinkle 
less than with us, and when near the zenith 
cease twinkling entirely. 

Twinkle, twinkle, little star; 
How I wonder what you are: 
Up above the world so high, 
Like a diamond in the sky. 

Montague Stanley (1809-44) was delight- 
ed with this familiar verse, and wrote the fol- 
lowing companion lines for his little boy to 
sing: 

V\ ho was it made thy tiny light, 
Sparkling in the darkest night? 
Whose hand doth hold thee up so far, 
When thou twinklest, little star? 



64 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

'Twas God who made thee shine so bright, 
The God who gave me life and light; 
And though you're beautiful, bright star 
Yet God doth love me better far. 
For Jesus spake the word, and thou 
Didst shine at first, as thou dost now; 
But O that Jesus died for me, 
And thus God loves me more than thee. 
And though thou lookest bright and free, 
Thou wilt wax old, and changed shalt be; 
But God shall make me brighter far, 
When thou art faded, twinkling star. 



May 10, 8 p.m. 
The Great Dipper is on our meridian, be- 
tween the North Pole and our zenith, the 
handle being toward our right as we face 
the north. The feet of the Bear come down 
to our zenith, or even a little below it. About 
thirty degrees below our zenith the fine con- 
stellation Virgo begins, and stretches thir- 
ty degrees toward the east. About twenty 
degrees east of our meridian, over in the 
south-east, is a bright star, Spica, the bright- 
est in the constellation. The bright star, 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 65 

Deneb, in the Lion's tail, is on our meridian, 
a few degrees below our zenith. Over in 
the north-east is a very bright star, form- 
ing with Spica and Deneb a large triangle, 
nearly equal sided. This very bright star 
is Arcturus, in the knee of Bootes, whose 
head is toward the north, his body being 
now nearly parallel to the horizon. The 
last two stars in the handle of the Great 
Dipper point nearly toward Arcturus. This 
is a yellowish star of great beauty that has 
been famous in all ages. 

Bootes drives the Great Bear around the 
pole. He has two little dogs between him 
and the Bear. A little more than half-way 
from Arcturus to the southern one of the 
two pointer stars (in the western end of the 
Great Dipper) is a rather bright star 
(Charles's heart, Cor Caroli) in one of 
these dogs. 

The name Arcturus means "tail of the 
bear," as this bright star follows the Bear 
closely. 



66 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

Arcturus rises about sunset early in May, 
and sets quickly after sunset early in Octo- 
ber. During the summer and fall months 
this beautiful star is seen at convenient 
hours. 

Bootes is bounded on the north by small- 
er constellations, east by the Northern Crow 
and Hercules, south by Virgo, and west by 
Coma Berenices, his dogs, and the Great 
Bear. 

Two and a half centuries ago, when the 
telescope was invented, the astronomers of 
that day were surprised to find that with its 
help stars could be seen by daylight. Arc- 
turus was the first star thus seen through the 
small telescope of that day. With the bet- 
ter instruments now in use stars of the 
smaller grades are readily seen in the day- 
time. 

There is a popular belief that stars may 
be seen by day, with the naked eye, from 
the bottom of a well. The reader may ask 
intelligent well-diggers about this opinion. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 67 

One star differeth from another star in glory. 

— Paul. 
Canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? 

— yob xxxviii. 32. 



May 20, 8 p.m. 

A few degrees south of our zenith, very- 
near the meridian, is the faint cluster of 
stars called Coma Berenice, or the Lock of 
Berenice. Beiow this, on the western side 
of the meridian, is Deneb, in the tail of the 
Lion. Deneb, Coma Berenice, Cor Caroli, 
and the last star in the Dipper handle are 
in a line from south-west to north-east. 

Below Deneb Our meridian passes over 
the Virgin's shoulders, her body reaching 
eastward. Farther south, about thirty de- 
grees above the horizon, the meridian passes 
through a group of stars, the brightest three 
being of the third magnitude. This little 
constellation is Corvus, the Crow. 

At the south point of the horizon our me- 
ridian passes through Centaurus, a large 
constellation of which the brightest stars are 



68 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

not visible except to those living in Florida. 
Persons living low down in this State can 
see several stars of the first magnitude, 
which are always below the horizon to the 
inhabitants of other portions of our country. 
Portions of that beautiful constellation, the 
Southern Cross, are seen from Lower Flor- 
ida at this hour, rising a few degrees above 
the southern point of the horizon. Twi- 
lights are now becoming longer. In higher 
latitude, as England, twilight now lasts all 
night, morning twilight beginning before 
evening twilight ceases. This cannot take 
place in any part of the United States. 

Behold this midnight glory: worlds on worlds! 

Amazing pomp; redouble this amaze! 

Ten thousand add; add twice ten thousand more; 

Then weigh the whole: one soul outweighs them all, 

And calls the astonishing magnificence 

Of unintelligent creation poor. — Young. 



June i, 8 p.m. 
Several fine stars of the first class may be 
seen at this hour. Low down in the north- 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 69 

east is Arided, in the Swan or Northern 
Cross. This bright star marks the northern 
end of the long beam of the cross, which is 
now parallel with the horizon, and is traced 
by several stars, nearly in a straight line, run- 
ning down the Milky Way. Very near the 
eastern edge of the horizon is Altair, in the 
Eagle, midway between the fainter stars, 
the three making a straight line pointing to- 
ward the horizon. Vega is in the north- 
east. Low down in the south-east is Anta- 
res, in the Scorpion. Nearly overhead is 
Arcturus, in Bootes. Lower down, nearly 
on our meridian, is Spica, in the hand of 
the Virgin. Over in the west, midway, is 
Regulus, in the Lion's breast. Very near 
the western horizon is Procyon. In the 
north-west are Castor and Pollux, in the 
heads of the Twins, who are now ready to 
sink, feet foremost, below the western hori- 
zon. Very low down in the north-west is 
Capella, in Auriga, the Charioteer. 

Between our zenith and the North Pole 



70 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

our meridian cuts the Dipper, the handle 
being on our right and the bowl of the Dip- 
per on our left. 

Vega, Capella, and Arcturus are usually 
considered the three brightest stars north of 
the celestial equator. 

The sun and every vassal star, 

All space beyond the soar of angel wings, 

Wait on His word; and yet he stavs his car 
For every sigh a contrite suppliant brings. 

—Keble. 



June io, 8 p.m. 

The fine constellation Bootes is now 
overhead. His dogs are west of our merid- 
ian, close behind the Bear, and the body of 
Bootes reaches northward. Arcturus, his 
brightest star, is very near our zenith, to 
mark his knee. 

Near our meridian, a little to the west, 
about half-way from our zenith to the south- 
ern horizon, is Spica. The Virgin's head 
lies westward, her feet pointing eastward. 
About fifteen degrees above our southern 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 7 1 

horizon the meridian passes through a clus- 
ter of rather bright stars in the head of Cen- 
taur, a large constellation whose greater 
part never rises above our horizon. The 
Milky Way lies low along the eastern hori- 
zon, from Cassiopeia on the north to Scor- 
pio on the south. In the north-east the 
Northern Cross (Swan) lies parallel to the 
horizon in the Milky Way. Altair, in the 
Eagle (Aquila), is just above the eastern 
horizon, the line of three stars of which it 
is the center pointing downward. The tail 
of the Eagle reaches to the Milky Way 
above. As Altair rises in the east Pro- 
cyon sets in the west. With a clear hori- 
zon in both directions both may be seen 
for a short time above the horizon. Six 
months hence Procyon will be rising at this 
hour in the east, while Altair will be setting 
in the west. 

Then sorrow touched by Thee grows bright 

With more than rapture's raj, 
As darkness shows us worlds of light 

We never saw bv dav. — Tom Moore. 



72 the young astronomer. 

June 20, 8 p.m. 

The bright star Arcturus is now on our 
meridian, a few degrees below our zenith. 
Thirty degrees below the meridian passes 
nearly midway between two bright stars — 
Spica on the west and Antares on the east. 
Antares is a few degrees lower down toward 
the horizon. Between these two stars lies 
the constellation Libra, our meridian pass- 
ing through its western edge. There are 
no stars of the first magnitude in this con- 
stellation. It is, however, one of the zodi- 
ac constellations, through which the moon 
passes every month, the sun once every 
year, and every planet once in its circuit. 
The brightest four stars form an irregular 
figure. One of them is seen by some eyes 
to have a beautiful light-green color. 

Our days are now at their longest. In 
Florida the longest day is fourteen hours 
long; in Maine it is more than fifteen hours 
in length ; in the lower part of Alaska it is 
seventeen hours long; and in the higher por- 



STARS THAT RISE A\D SET. 73 

tion of our new territory there are twenty- 
four hours of continuous sunshine. 

The sun now rises farther round to the 
north-east, and sets farther to the north- 
west, than at any other time of the year. 

Thomas Buchanan Read, an American 
poet (1822-72), has some lines worth re- 
membering when we watch the silent mo- 
tion of the stars as they sink toward the 

west: 

Procession of Stars and Souls. 

I stood upon the open casement, 

And looked upon the night, 
And saw the westward-going stars 

Pass slowly out of sight. 

Slowlv the bright procession 
Went down the gleaming arch, 

And my soul discerned the music 
Of the long, triumphal march ; 

Till the great celestial army. 

Stretching far beyond the poles, 
Became the eternal symbol 

Of the mighty march of souls. 

Onward, forever onward. 
Red Mars led on his clan; 



74 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

And the moon, like a mailed maiden, 
Was riding in the van. 

And some were bright in beauty, 
And some were faint and small; 

But these might be, in their great heights, 
The noblest of them all. 

Downward, forever downward, 
Behind earth's dusky shore, 

They passed into the unknown night; 
They passed, and were no more. 

No more! O say not so! 

And downward is not just; 
For the sight is weak and the sense is dim 

That looks through heated dust. 

The stars and the mailed moon, 
Though they seem to fall and die ; 

Still sweep in their embattled lines 
An endless reach of sky. 

And though the hills of Death 

May hide the bright array, 
The marshaled brotherhood of souls 

Still keeps its onward way. 

Upward, forever upward, 

I see their march sublime, 
And hear the glorious music 

Of the conquerors of time. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 



75 



And long let me remember 
That the palest fainting one 

May to diviner vision be 
A bright and blazing sun. 




CHAPTER IV. 

STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 

* * * 

July i, 8 p.m. 

THE Milky Way is very conspicuous now 
every clear night when no moon is 
shining. It begins in the north-east, where 
Cassiopeia is rising. Two streams can be 
traced, with a space of open sky between, 
and in each stream sometimes dark spots 
maybe seen between the brighter portions. 
The two branches can be traced, more or 
less distinctly, down to the southern horizon, 
where there is now a brilliant portion of this 
wonderful circle, with Scorpio on one side 
and Sagittarius on the other. A little close 
and careful looking at this splendid object 
will bring out beauties which the hurried ob- 
server does not find. 

Galaxy is from a Greek word meaning 

"milk," and is a name frequently used. 

(76) 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 77 

Most of our brightest stars lie in or near the 
Milky Way. Part of this wonderful belt is 
now below our horizon. We must wait for 
some winter night to bring it before us. 

A great part of the Milky Way is made up 
of stars too distant for us to see them dis- 
tinctly one by one. This strange belt has 
been gazed at by the man of science, the 
poet, the philosopher, and the child, with 
wondering eyes. It has been called the 
"celestial" river," "the path of departed 
spirits to the better land," "Jacob's Lad- 
der," etc. 

Torrent of light and river of the air, 

Along whose bed the glimmering stars are seen, 
Like gold and silver sands in some ravine 

Where mountain streams have left their chasms bare; 

The Spaniard sees in thee the pathwav where 
His patron saint descended in the sheen 
Of his celestial armor, on serene 

And quiet nights, when all the heavens were fair. 

Not this I see, nor vet the ancient fable 

Of Phaeton's wild course that scorched the skies, 
Where'er the hoofs of his hot coursers trod; 



78 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER 

But the white drift of worlds o'er chasms of sable — 
The star-dust that is whirled aloft, and flies 
From the invisible chariot-wheels of God. 

— L ongfellvw. 

July 10, 8 p.m. 

A few degrees south of our zenith is a 
small constellation which can be learned 
with a little trouble. It is the Northern 
Crown, made up of a half-circle of stars 
that may be traced very clearly. There are 
no stars of the first magnitude in the crown, 
the brightest only being of the second mag- 
nitude. This is called Alphacca, or "the 
pearl " of the crown. In 1866 one of the 
smallest stars in the crown suddenly flared 
up to the second magnitude. After burning 
with this unusual luster for several weeks, 
it suddenly sunk down, and now it cannot 
be seen with the naked eye. A star on fire ! 
What could this be? 

There have been other instances of stars 
suddenly appearing. In November, 1572, 
a very bright star appeared in Cassiopeia. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 79 

It became bright enough to be seen in broad 
daylight. After a year or more it disap- 
peared. This led astronomers to look back 
into recorded notices of similar occurrences. 
It was found that several stars had appeared 
at intervals of about three hundred and four- 
teen years. Counting backward, that made 
one probable about the Christian era, and 
by some this was connected with the Star 
of Bethlehem. The year 1886 was the date 
for the re-appearance of this star. On this 
slender foundation of fact and fancy all the 
expectation of the Star of Bethlehem re-ap- 
pearing has been'based. 

And that special arrangement of the material system 
is peculiarly worthy of notice which, while all inter- 
course between neighboring worlds is effectively pre- 
vented, allows the vastness of the creation to be a spec- 
tacle to each part of it. In truth, nothing in physical 
philosophy is so amazing as the means by which ob- 
jects much more remote one from the other than the 
utmost range of calculation can extend to are made 
perceptible one to the other. If the mere greatrress of 
creation is wonderful, there is even a higher or more 
superlative wonder in the fact that this greatness should 



80 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

be cognizable from every point, or that at any point 
where a percipient being may have his station, thither 
as to a center the lines of knowledge should converge; 
so that the mind of that being should gather to itself 
true and distinct notices of whatever floats within the 
immeasurable sphere of stellar light. — Isaac Taylor. 



July 20, 8 p.m. 
About thirty degrees from our southern 
horizon our meridian passes very near to a 
bright, reddish star of the first magnitude. 
This is Antares, which seems to mean Anti- 
Mars, or Mock-Mars. The color of this 
star makes it easily mistaken for the fiery 
planet. Once in two years Mars passes 
through Scorpio, and sometimes he passes 
very near to the star, as was the case in Au- 
gust, 1890. Antares is the heart of the 
Scorpion, his head being traced by a curve 
of stars above, while the body stretches 
down through the western branch of the 
Milky Way; and when near the horizon a 
row of bright stars turns to the east, and 
then upward in the other branch of the 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 8 1 

Milky Way. This constellation is often 
called the Kite. A very good resemblance 
can be traced from the upper curve of stars 
from the rim to the long curved tail ending 
in two bright little stars near the edge of the 
Milky Way. 

This is perhaps the finest one of our sum- 
mer constellations, and is seen at early hours 
from the middle of April to the middle of 
October. 

Scorpio and Sagittarius (east of Scorpio) 
extend farther toward the southern horizon 
than the other zodiac constellations. When 
low down in the south-west, Scorpio lies al- 
most parallel to the horizon. 

Vega, in Lyra; Altair, in the Eagle; 
and Arided, in the Swan, form a large tri- 
angle of first-class stars. 

If at this season of the year the reader 
happens to travel all night, or to rise very 
early, he will be glad to see the bright win- 
ter constellations. About 4 o'clock in the 
morning he can see the Seven Stars high up 
6 



82 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

in the east, Orion below, and Sirius near 
the horizon. 

One can never be alone if he is familiarly acquaint- 
ed with the stars. He rises early in the summer morn- 
ing, that he may see his winter friends; in the winter, 
that he may gladden himself with a sight of the sum- 
mer stars. He hails their successive rising as he does 
the coming of his personal friends beyond the sea. On 
the wide ocean he is commercing with the skies, his 
rapt soul sitting in his eyes. Under the clear skies of 
the East he hears God's voice speaking to him, as to 
Abraham, and saving: "Look now toward heaven, 
and tell the stars if thou be able to number them." — 
Bishop Warren, 

August i, 8 p.m. 

Overhead is the very large constellation 
Hercules. Our zenith is nearly in the cen- 
ter, and the great cluster stretches for twen- 
ty degrees north along the meridian, and 
about as far south; while it extends about 
ten degrees on each side. His head is to- 
ward the south, his feet reaching toward the 
North Pole. 

There are no first-class stars in this great 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 83 

constellation, and only one of the second. 
This one is in the head, about twenty de- 
grees south of our zenith. You may find it, 
with the help of a star of equal brightness, 
about five degrees east. This second star 
is the head of another giant (Serpentarius, 
the serpent-bearer), whose body extends for 
many degrees down toward the Milky Way 
and Scorpio. The star in the head of Ser- 
pentarius and Lyra, east of our zenith, and 
Altair to the south-east, form a triangle of 
nearly equal sides. The body of Serpenta- 
rius extends along the Milky Way to Scor- 
pio. The foot of , Hercules is on the Drag- 
on's head, far to the north. 

Hercules is bounded on the north by the 
Dragon, east by Lyra and the Milky Way, 
south by Serpentarius, and west by the 
Northern Crown and Bootes. 

Serpentarius is bounded on the north by 
Hercules, east by the Milky Way, south by 
the Scorpion, and west by Libra and 
Bootes. 



84 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

There are some reasons for believing that 
the Sun, with all his family of planets (our 
world among them) is moving at present to- 
ward the constellation Hercules. Thomas 
Carlyle has a good paragraph on this sub- 
ject: 

On the whole, as this wondrous planet, Earth, is 
journeying with its fellows through infinite space, so 
are the wondrous destinies embarked on it journeving 
through infinite time, under a higher guidance than 
ours. For the present, as our astronomy informs us, 
its path lies toward Hercules, the constellation of phys- 
ical power. But that is not our most pressing concern. 
Go where it will, the deep heaven will be around it. 
Therein let us have hope and sure faith. To reform a 
world, to reform a nation, no wise man will undertake ; 
and all but foolish men know that the only solid though 
far slower reformation is what each man begins and 
perfects in himself. 

August 10, 8 p.m. 

The right knee of the giant Hercules is 

over our head to-night. His foot toward the 

north is on the head of the Dragon, which 

is on our meridian about twenty degrees 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 85 

north of our zenith. The Dragon's head 
is made up of four bright stars, forming an 
irregular figure, the sides being from six to 
eight degrees in length. The two stars 
forming the upper side are the brightest, 
and the right-hand one is a famous star. It 
passes over the zenith of Greenwich, and is 
connected with a remarkable discovery of 
the royal astronomer, Bradley. Twenty 
degrees south of our zenith the meridian 
passes over the bright star in the head of 
Serpentarius. His body lies along our me- 
ridian for thirty degrees or more. He holds 
in his hands a serpent, whose long body 
coils around through many degrees, stretch- 
ing across the meridian eastward, and reach- 
ing nearly to Arcturus, west of the meridian. 
This Serpent's head is about midway from 
the heads of Hercules and Serpentarius to 
Arcturus. 

It is usually better to study the stars on a 
moonless night, as the smallest stars are 
then visible ; but the stars of first and sec- 



86 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

ond magnitude are more readily learned in 
the presence of the moon, as the stars are 
not so crowded then. 

The Moon was pallid, but not faint, 

And beautiful as some fair saint 

Serenely moving on her way 

In hours of trial and dismay. 

As if she heard the voice of God, 

Unharmed, with naked feet she trod 

Upon the hot and burning stars, 

As on the glowing coals and bars 

That were to prove her strength and try 

Her holiness and her purity. — Longfellow. 



August 20, 8 p.m. 
Four or five degrees east of our zenith 
there is a bright star — one of the brightest 
in all the northern sky. This is Vega, or 
Wega, in the little constellation Lyra. The 
star is sometimes called by the name of the 
constellation. Strictly, however, Vega is 
the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. 
About eight degrees south of Vega are two 
rather bright stars two degrees apart. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 87 

These mark the southern extremity of the 
Harp (Lyra). Two degrees east of Vega 
are two faint stars, which with Vega form a 
small, equal-sided triangle. Look closely, 
when there is no moonlight, at the northern 
one of the faint stars. A keen eye sees it 
like a "long or flattened star." Some very 
good eyes separate it into two stars. A lit- 
tle opera-glass divides it, and a small tele- 
scope separates each of these two ver}^ faint 
stars into two. 

Vega is a beautiful star, described hy one 
astronomer as " a pale sapphire, or tinged 
with blue — a lovely gem." Vega, with us, 
rises about forty degrees east of the north 
point of the horizon. It is seen at early 
hours from the first of April to the middle 
of January. In London it is in the circle of 
never-setting stars. 

Only four stars of the first magnitude pass 
immediately over the United States. Ca- 
pella and Arided once in every twenty-four 
hours are in the zenith to the inhabitants of 



OO THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

Maine. Pollux is overhead to the people of 
lower South Carolina and the Gulf States. 
Vega passes over Washington, D. C; Lex- 
ington, Ky. ; St. Louis, Mo. ; and other 
places in that line of latitude. Between two 
successive appearances to us that bright star 
visits the "Old World," and looks directly 
down on the Fortress of Gibraltar, Corinth 
and Athens in Greece, and the ruins of 
Ephesus in Asia Minor. 

The sky in midsummer may not have the 
peculiar splendor of the winter nights, for 
one season differeth from another season in 
glory; but to-night there are many objects 
to move our wonder and reverence. Three 
first-class stars are in the west. Arcturus, 
in Bootes, is high up; while Spica, in Vir- 
go, is low down near the horizon, and far- 
ther toward the south; and higher up, in 
Antares, is Scorpio. 

The Milky Way begins a little east of 
north, while Perseus is beginning to rise, 
and passes through Cassiopeia, dividing 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 09 

into two streams, one of them (the upper) 
including the Northern Cross (Swan), the 
other passing over the Eagle. These branch- 
es of the Milky Way differ in width from 
three or four degrees in some places to twelve 
degrees or more in others. One of them 
sinks below the horizon at the south point; 
the other a little farther west, near Scorpio. 

The two great circles — the ecliptic and 
the equator — now cut each other in the 
eastern and western points of the horizon. 

The equator in the skv is only the earth- 
ly equator prolonged. Begin at the north 
pole of the sky, and go ninety degrees in 
any direction, and you reach the celestial 
equator. If it were a visible instead of an 
imaginary line, one-half of it would be seen 
spanning the sky, perpetually, by day and 
by night. The half of it overhead now is 
not traced by any remarkable star. It 
passes a few degrees south of x\ltair, in the 
Eagle. 

If we could see the stars that are over- 



90 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

head by day, we would notice different clus- 
ters near the sun from day to day. Year 
after year he passes over exactly the same 
path, through the same constellations. This 
path, traced on the sky, is the ecliptic. The 
moon and planets do not follow the same 
path, though they never wander far from it. 
A belt of about eight degrees on each side 
of the ecliptic includes the paths of the 
planets and the moon. The constellations 
in this belt bear the names of animals — such 
as the Ram, the Bull, etc. These constel- 
lations are called the zodiac, from a Greek 
word meaning animals. One-half of the 
zodiac, made up of six constellations, is al- 
ways visible at night. To-night, beginning 
in the west, we can see Virgo, Libra, Scor- 
pio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and 
part of Pisces. The two great circles meet 
in the east and west to-night in an angle of 
about twenty-three and a half degrees. 

The twelve constellations in the zodiac, 
beginning with Aries, the Ram, are given 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 9 1 

by their English name in the following 
verse : 

The Ram and Bull lead off the line; 
Next Twins and Crab and Lion shine 

The Virgin and the Scales: 
Scorpion and Archer next are due, 
The Goat and Water-bearer too, 

And Fish with glittering tails. 

Aries is on the meridian at 8 p.m., about 
the ist of January; Taurus, about the ist 
of Februarv : and so on through the twelve 
months of the year. Gemini (the Twins) 
are the highest, when on the meridian, of all 
the zodiac constellations. They pass over- 
head to the people of the Gulf States. Sag- 
ittarius is lowest, rising less than one-third 
of the way up from the southern horizon to 
the zenith, to the middle portions of our 
country. 

Casper Hauser, a German, was cruelly 
confined in a dark dungeon from infancy to 
young manhood. When released, in 1828, 
he was perhaps seventeen years of age. He 



92 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

was a child in all respects, as to the use of 
the senses. Great care was taken to accus- 
tom him to the view of all objects, near or 
distant. After months of training, his keep- 
er thought it time to show him the skies by- 
night. The following paragraph is taken 
from the teacher's account of his pupil: 

It was in the month of August, when on a fine sum- 
mer evening his instructor showed him for the first 
time the starry heavens. His astonishment and trans- 
port surpassed all description. He could not be satiated 
-with the sight, and was ever returning to gaze upon it; 
at the same time fixing accurately with his eve the dif- 
ferent groups that were pointed out to him, remarking 
the stars most distinguished for their brightness, and 
observing the difference in their respective colors. 
"That," he exclaimed, "is indeed the most beautiful 
sight that I have ever vet seen in the world! But who 
placed all these numerous beautiful candles there? 
Who lights them? Who puts them out?" At length, 
standing motionless, with his head bowed down and 
his eyes staring, he fell into a train of deep and serious 
meditation. When he again recovered his recollection, 
his transport had been succeeded by deep sadness. He 
sunk trembling upon a chair, and asked why that wicked 
man had kept him locked up, and had never shown him 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 93 

any of these beautiful things. He (Casper) had never 
done any harm. He then broke out into a fit of crying, 
which lasted for a long time, and -which could with dif- 
ficulty be soothed ; and said that the man with whom 
he had always been may now be locked up for a few 
days, that he may learn how hard it is to be treated so." 
This was the first occasion on which he seemed to feel 
anv indignation at his cruel treatment. 



September i, 8 p.m. 
About thirty degrees above the southern 
horizon our meridian passes through a fine 
constellation — Sagittarius. There are no 
first-class stars in this constellation, yet it is 
a striking cluster on the whole. Several of 
its brightest stars (second or third magni- 
tude) are now on our meridian, forming a 
Dipper, in shape something like the Great 
Dipper, only smaller. It is "bottom up- 
ward," and the handle stretches toward the 
west, in the Milky Way. This group of 
stars is sometimes called the Milk Dipper. 
This constellation, with the neighboring 
patches of light and islands of darkness in 



94 



THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 



the Milky Way, makes a striking picture on 
a clear, moonless night. 

The famous traveler Du Chaillu describes 
the enjoyment which he received from a 
study of the stars, as they looked down upon 
him when in Central Africa: 

The contemplation of the heavens afforded me a de- 
gree of enjoyment difficult to describe. When every 
one else had gone to sleep, I often stood alone on the 
prairie, with a gun by my side, watching the stars. I 
looked at some with fond love, for they had been my 
guides, and consequently my friends, in the lonely 
country I traveled; and it was always with a feeling of 
sadness that I looked at them for the last time, before 
they disappeared below the horizon for a few months ; 
and I alwavs welcomed them back Avith a feeling of 
pleasure which, no doubt, those who have been in a 
situation similar to mine can understand. I studied 
also how they twinkled, and tried to see how many 
bright meteors traveled through the sky until the 
morning twilight came, and reminded me that my work 
was done by the then visible world becoming invisible. 

Dr. Kane found similar enjoyment under 
the polar skies: 

The intense beauty of the entire firmament can 
hardly be imagined. It looked close above our heads, 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 95 

with its stars magnified to glory, and the very planets 
twinkled so much as to baffle the observation of the as- 
tronomer. I have trodden the deck, when the life of 
the earth seemed suspended — its movements, its sounds, 
its coloring, its companionship; and as I looked on the 
radiant hemisphere circling above me, as it rendering 
worship to that unseen center of light, I have ejacu- 
lated, in humility of spirit: "Lord, what is man, that 
thou art mindful of him ? " And then I have thought 
of the kindly world we had left, with its revolving sun- 
light and shadow, and all the other stars that gladden 
it in their changes, and the hearts which warmed to us 
there, till I lost myself in memories of those who are 
not, and they bore me back to the stars again. 



September io, 8 p.m. 
A few degrees south of our zenith, on 
our meridian, is a bright star, forming the 
head of the Swan (Cygnus), a beautiful con- 
stellation now lying east of our meridian for 
several degrees. About twenty-five degrees 
to the north-east of this bright star is one 
still brighter, in the tail of the Swan, called 
Arided. Along the line joining these two 
bright stars you may trace a row of smaller 



g6 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

stars forming the long beam of a cross. 
Near the northern end, a few degrees south 
of Arided, there are two bright stars, equal- 
ly distant from the central line, forming the 
cross-piece . Altogether this Northern Cross 
is a beautiful figure, and it is striking in its 
outline when once clearly seen. It gives 
name to the constellation which is called the 
Northern Cross more frequently than the 
Swan. 

The Southern Cross is below the horizon 
to us at all times, except that a small part 
of it can be seen at one season of the year 
by those persons who live in Florida. 

Arided is in a small dark patch or island 
in the Milky Way. The long beam of the 
Cross lies along the Milky Way. When 
rising in the north-east, the cross is lying 
parallel to the horizon ; when setting in the 
north-west, it is upright. 

In the eastern part of this constellation 
there is a small star, which for reasons that 
cannot be given here is supposed to be 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 97 

nearer to us than any star north of the equa- 
tor. It is so distant that its light requires 
about ten years to reach us. When you 
look at the stars, you do not see them as 
they are to-night, but as they were years 
ago — perhaps in some cases as they were 
many years ago. Light requires more than 
thirty years to reach us from the North Star. 
If that star should be suddenly blotted from 
existence by its Creator, we would not miss 
it for thirty years. 

Were a star quenched on high, 

For ages -would its light, 
Still traveling downward from the sky, 

Shine on our mortal sight. 

So, -when a great man dies, 

For vears beyond our ken 
The light he leaves behind him lies 

Upon the paths of men. — Longfellozv. 



September 20, 8 p.m. 
Twenty degrees south of our zenith, and 
a few degrees east of our meridian, is the 
little group of small stars called, from their 

7 



98 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

shape, Job's Coffin. This is the Dolphin. 
West of this, on the other side of the merid- 
ian, is the constellation Aquila, or the Eagle. 
This cluster has one star of the first magni- 
tude, "of a ruddy color," called Altair. It 
lies between two smaller stars, equally dis- 
tant in a straight line on each side. Altair 
is in the neck of the Eagle, its tail extend- 
ing to the Milky Way, toward Lyra. 

Our days and nights are now equal. Twi- 
light is short. 

The sun is now crossing the equator, go- 
ing southward. When he is on the equa- 
tor, his light reaches to both poles, north 
and south. When he goes south of the 
equator his light is withdrawn from the 
North Pole, and its long night begins, while 
the South Pole enjoys constant sunshine for 
as long a time. Spring is now beginning to 
those countries south of the equator. That 
they may have their spring and summer, we 
must now have our fall and winter. Their 
days are becoming longer, while ours be- 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 



99 



come shorter; yet to every spot on the 
earth's surface one-half of the year is light 
and the other half darkness. 

The soul that sees him, or receives sublimed 
New faculties, or learns at last to employ 
More worthily the powers she owned before, 
Discerns in all things what with stupid gaze 
Of ignorance till then she overlooked : 
A ray of heavenly light, gilding all forms 
Terrestrial in the vast and the minute ; 
The unambiguous footsteps of the God 
Who gives its luster to an insect's wing, 
And wheels his throne upon the rolling worlds. 

— Coxvfier* 




CHAPTER V. 

STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 



October i, 8 p.m. 

THE Northern Cross is overhead. The 
bright star Vega is west of the merid- 
ian. Below our zenith, on the meridian, are 
the Dolphin (Job's Coffin), with the Eagle 
next on the west. About half-way from this 
point to the southern horizon the constella- 
tion Capricornus lies on both sides of our 
meridian. The head is known by two stars 
of the third magnitude, a little west of our 
meridian, lying about three degrees apart; 
the northern one of them being a double 
star, when looked at closely with the naked 
eye. 

Vega (in Lyra) is east of our zenith. A 
line from this bright star to the head of Cap- 
ricornus will pass through Aquila, the Eagle. 
The three brightest stars in the Eagle (Al- 
(100) 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. IOI 

tair being the middle one) are about half- 
way between Lyra and Capricornus, and 
point nearly toward these constellations. 

On the surface of a world which is a mote, and over- 
arched by an infinitude alive with these lustrous forms, 
man can turn his eyes to his feet, and there is the insect 
with its nest and the floweret blooming in peace. Yes, 
if awed into dread by these majestic glories, or amid 
their surpassing splendor fearing lest a darkness should 
be thrown around the dwelling of my soul, I revert to 
that home picture of Luther's, in which he speaks of 
the little bird that on summer evenings came to his 
pear-tree at sunset and sung ever joyously and without 
one note of misgiving, because, though great eternity 
was above, below, and around it, God was there also. 
— Nichol. 

October io, 8 p.m. 
Look down the meridian about half-way 
from the zenith to the southern horizon, and 
you will find the head of Aquarius, the Wa- 
terman, his body reaching half-way down to 
the horizon, and lying chiefly along the east- 
ern side of the meridian. This constellation 
includes more than one hundred stars, but 
no one of them is brighter than of the third 



102 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

magnitude, The brightest are in a group 
making the urn, from which he pours out a 
stream of water. This urn is a few degrees 
east of the head. 

A line from the north-eastern corner of 
the square of Pegasus to the south-western 
corner, and continued about as far beyond, 
will reach this urn. 

Mysterious night! when our first parents knew 
Thee from report divine, and heard thy name, 
Did he not tremble for this goodly frame, 

This glorious canopy of light and blue? 

Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew, 

Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame, 
Hesperus with the host of heaven came, 

And lo! creation widened in man's view. 

Who could have thought such darkness lay concealed 
Within thy beams, O sun! or who could find, 

Whilst fly and leaf and insect stood revealed, 

That to such countless orbs thou mad'st us blind? 

Why do we then shun death with anxious strife? 

If light can thus deceive, why not life? 

—Blanco White. 



October 20, 8 p.m. 
About twenty -five degrees above the 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. IO3 

southern horizon, turn ten degrees toward 
the east from the meridian, and you will see 
a rather bright star, the brightest in all that 
region. This is Fomalhaut, in the eye of 
the Southern Fish. The mouth of the Fish 
is turned eastward. He is drinking from 
the stream which Aquarius pours from his 
urn. Fomalhaut is seen at convenient 
hours, from July to the close of the year. 

This constellation (the Southern Fish) 
has no connection with the zodiac constel- 
lation Pisces, the Fishes. 

Being in a neighborhood of rather inferi- 
or stars, Fomalhaut is quite conspicuous for 
several months in our southern sky. It is 
usually classed with the white stars — like 
Regulus, Deneb, and the Pole Star. The 
English astronomer Lockyer arranges other 
leading stars as follows, with regard to 
color: 

Red — Aldebaran, Antares, Betelgeuse. 

Blue — Capella, Rigel, Bellatrix, Procy- 
on, Spica. 



104 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

Green — Sirius, Vega, Altair. 

Yellow — Ar cturus . 

These colors may seem to vary slightly 
with different states of the atmosphere. 
Differences in color are more " striking in 
countries where the atmosphere is less hu- 
mid and hazy than ours. In Syria, for in- 
stance, one star shines like an emerald, an- 
other as a ruby, and the whole heavens 
sparkle as with various gems." 

Bellatrix, in the list of blue stars, is the 
western shoulder of Orion. 

Two things there are which the oftener and the 
more steadily Ave consider fill our minds with an ever 
new, ever rising admiration and reverence: the starry 
heavens above and the moral law within. — Kant. 

Two things I contemplate with ceaseless awe — 
The starry heavens and man's sense of law. 

— Anon. 
The heavens declare the glory of God! 

The law of the Lord is perfect. — David. 



November i, 8 p.m. 
A few degrees south of our zenith the me- 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. IO5 

ridian passes through two bright stars about 
five degrees apart, lying nearly east and west. 
These are in the forelegs of Pegasus, the 
Winged Horse. The eastern one of these 
two stars is the north-western corner of a 
remarkable square. South of it about twelve 
degrees is another corner star; and east of 
these you may readily find the remaining 
two — the four stars of nearly equal bright- 
ness forming a regular square, each side of 
which is about twelve degrees. 

Within this square, on a very clear night, 
some persons have counted nearly one hun- 
dred stars, though none of them are as 
bright as the corner stars. 

The head of the Horse reaches toward 
the Dolphin (Job's Coffin) over in the west. 
There is no body to the horse, onlv his 
shoulder and wings being pictured on globes 
and maps. The western side of the square 
points down toward Fomalhaut, now twen- 
ty-five degrees above our southern horizon. 

Go from the south-eastern corner star to 



106 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the north-western, and continue the line 
about as far beyond, and you will be near 
Arided, the brightest star in the Swan, or 
Northern Cross. Prolong the eastern side 
of the square about twelve degrees south- 
ward, and you reach a blank spot in the sky 
which is remarkable. It is the spot from 
which longitude is counted in star maps. It 
is the Greenwich of the skies. 

Arthur Helps, on the last page of his sug- 
gestive book, "Friends in Council," puts 
these words into the mouth of his " friend " 
Millerton: 

Yes, I say that the whole heavens may present to 
superior beings the appearance of a solid body. You 
all recollect what Boscovich and other physical writers 
have said about the ultimate atoms of matter: that they 
do not touch, and that they have what we call repulsion 
for one another. That distance from each other which 
is requisite for the ultimate atoms of this gaunt tree we 
are looking upon, which yet presents a solid appear- 
ance, may find perhaps an exact parallel in the distances 
of these stars one from another. They mav therefore, 
to a being who could behold them after the same fash- 
ion as we behold this tree, present the appearance of 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. IO7 

solidity. I cannot help thinking that no space is lost, 
and that the whole universe is as much occupied as the 
space which this tree seems to occupy. There are small 
creatures to whom that stone appears compact, while 
all the rest, perhaps, that it can behold seems wide and 
disjointed. Yet to us these wide disjointed things are 
solid. 

I do not know how you may take my fancies, but at 
any rate I trust you feel with me that there is immor- 
tal consolation in the aspect of these heavens which 
we are allowed to look upon — probably the greatest 
physical privilege permitted to man ; and that from this 
vast contemplation we may derive some comfort for 
every sorrow, some alleviation for every regret, and 
some benign hope to throw a ray of cheerfulness into 
the gloomiest depth of despondency. 



November io, 8 p.m., 

Or December i, 6 p.m. 

The great square of Pegasus is nearly 
overhead, our meridian passing along its 
western side. Near the meridian, farther 
south, about twenty-five degrees above the 
horizon, is the bright star Fomalhaut. Be- 
ginning near that point on the meridian is 
the Whale (Cetus), which extends far to the 



Io8 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

east, nearly to the Bull, where the Pleiades 
and the Hyades are shining over in the east. 
As befits the name, the Whale is a very large 
constellation, covering the larger portion of 
the south-eastern region of our sky to-night. 
There are no stars of the first magnitude, 
and but one of the second. This is the 
heart of the Whale. Going from Fomal- 
haut to the Seven Stars, when about half- 
way, you pass near this star — the brightest 
in all that region. The eyes of the Whale 
are marked by two rather bright stars, about 
as far apart as the two eyes of the Ram. 
These eyes of the Ram are now about half- 
way from the Seven Stars to our meridian. 
The eyes of the Whale are in a line nearly 
parallel to the line of the Ram's eyes. The 
Whale's eyes, the Ram's eyes, and the 
Seven Stars will mark out a triangle of 
nearly equal sides. Half-way between the 
heart of the Whale and the eyes is a very 
remarkable changeable star, which may in- 
terest the reader hereafter. Its name is 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. IO9 

Mira, " the Wonderful." Between the 
"forepaws" of the Whale there flows a 
double stream — Eridanus, the river Po. One 
branch turns upward toward Orion's feet; 
the other courses southward, and then west- 
ward, where it sinks below our horizon. 
There is no very bright star in this constel- 
lation which is seen by us. The people in 
Lower Florida may see Acharnar, a star of 
the first magnitude, in the southern branch 
of Eridanus. It comes to the meridian about 
the same time with the eyes of the Ram. 

A "falling or shooting star" attracts at- 
tention even from those who are indifferent 
to the splendor of the fixed stars. Several 
of these "falling stars," or meteors, may 
usually be seen in one hour, on any even- 
ing. They are passing through space, all 
around our earth, in countless numbers. 
There are several seasons in each year when 
they are more likely to be seen. November 
10-14 * s one °f those dates. On November 
z 3> I S33, a very remarkable shower of me- 



IIO THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

teors occurred. It was seen over the greater 
portion of North America. A resident of 
Canada describes it in this way: 

My wife awoke me between 2 and 3 o'clock in the 
morning, to tell me that it lightened incessantly. I im- 
mediately arose and looked out of the window, when I 
was perfectly dazzled by a brilliant display of falling 
stars. As this extraordinary phenomenon did not dis- 
appear, we dressed ourselves and went to the door, 
where we continued to watch the beautiful shower of 
fire till after daylight. These luminous bodies became 
visible in the zenith, taking the north-east in their 
descent. Few of them appeared to be less than a star 
of the first magnitude. Very many of them seemed 
larger than Venus. Two of them in particular appeared 
half as large as the moon. I think, without exaggera- 
tion, that several hundreds of these beautiful stars were 
visible at the same time, all falling in the same direc- 
tion, and leaving in their wake a long stream of fire. 
This appearance continued, without intermission, from 
the time I got up until after sunrise. 

A planter of South Carolina says : 

I was suddenly awakened by the most distressing 
cries that ever fell on my ears. Shrieks of horror and 
cries for mercy I could hear from most of the negroes of 
the three plantations, amounting in all to six hundred or 
eight hundred. While earnestly listening for the cause, 




(112) 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. II3 

I heard a faint voice near the door calling my name. 
At this moment I heard the same voice saying: "O 
the world is on fire! " I then opened the door, and it is 
difficult to say which excited me most — the awfulness 
of the scene or the distressed cries of the negroes. The 
scene was truly awful, for never did rain fall much 
thicker than the meteors fell toward the earth. East, 
west, north, and south it was the same. 

Looking back over the records of similar 
appearances, astronomers were led to expect 
unusual meteoric showers about 1866. On 
the morning of the 14th of November, 1866, 
there was such a display visible in England. 
One year later (November 14, 1867) mete- 
ors in unusual numbers were seen in some 
parts of the United States. Professor Loo- 
mis, of New Haven, counted five hundred 
meteors in one hour. 

Those living in 1899 anc ^ I 9°° m ay see 
another wonderful " shower of falling 
stars." 

Early in August (6-1 1) meteors are fre- 
quently seen in unusual numbers. 

Miss Frances Ridley Havergal Witnessed 



114 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the meteoric shower of 1866 in England, 
and wrote this lively description of the 
scene : 

O to raise a mighty shout, 
And bid the sleepers all come out! 
No dreamer's fancy, fair and high 
Could image forth a grander sky. 
And O for eyes of swifter power, 
To follow fast the starry shower! 
O for a sweep of vision clear, 
To grasp at once a hemisphere! 

The solemn old choral of night, 

With fullest chords of awful might, 

Re-echoes still, in stately march, 

Throughout the glowing heavenly arch; 

But harmonies all new and rare 

Are intermingling everywhere. 

Fantastic, fitful, fresh, and free, 

A sparkling wealth of melody, 

A carol of sublimest glee, 

Is bursting from the starry chorus, 

In dazzling exultation o'er us. 

O wondrous sight! so swift, so bright, 

Like sudden thrills of strange delight — 

As if the stars were all at play, 

And kept ecstatic holiday ; 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. II5 

As if it were a jubilee 

Of glad millenniums fully told, 

Or universal sympathy 

With some new dawning age of gold. 

Flashing from the lordly Lion, 
Flaming under bright Procyon ; 
From the farthest east upranging, 
Past the blessed orb unchanging; 
Ursa's brilliance far outgleaming, 
From the very zenith streaming; 
Rushing, as in joy delirious, 
To the pure white ray of Sirius; 
Past Orion's belted splendor, 
Past Capella, clear and tender; 
Lightening dusky polar regions, 
Brightening pale, encircling legions; 
Lines of fiery glitter tracing, 
Parting, meeting, interlacing; 
Paling every constellation 
With their radiant revelation! 
All we heard of meteor glory 
Is a true and sober story. 
Who will not for life remember 
This night grandeur of November? 



November 20, 8 p.m. 
A few degrees below our zenith the great 



Il6 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

square of Pegasus lies west of our merid- 
ian. The four stars of this square, about 
twelve degrees apart, are easily found. The 
north-eastern corner star is also a part of 
another constellation, Andromeda. Try to 
trace this fine constellation lying to the north- 
east of the square. Begin at the south- 
western corner of the square, and go to the 
north-eastern. Now, continue that line for 
about twelve degrees farther, and you will 
be near the bright star in Andromeda's gir- 
dle. Continue the line about the same dis- 
tance beyond, and you are near a bright 
star in her feet. For eight or ten degrees 
on each side of that central line the constel- 
lation extends, and includes some wonderful 
objects when seen in a telescope. 

Three stars (one of the second magni- 
tude, one of the third, and the other of the 
fourth), in a line pointing nearly north and 
south, form the girdle of Andromeda. Very 
near the northern end of this line, on a clear, 
moonless night, a good eye can see a re- 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. II7 

markable little nebula, or cloud, of very 
small stars, too small to be distinctly seen. 

The imaginative Greek saw in the skies 
a vast illustrated chart of his country's fab- 
ulous history. 

Andromeda has her mother, Cassiopeia, close by 
her on the north; and at her feet is Perseus, her deliv- 
erer; while her head rests upon the shoulder of Pega- 
sus, the Winged Horse which brought Perseus to her 
rescue. — Young. 

Before yon sun arose 

Stars clustered in the sky ; 
But O how dim, how pale were those 

To his one burning eve! 

So truth lent many a ray 

To bless the pagan's night; 
But, Lord, how weak, how cold were they 

To thy one glorious light! 

— Tom Jfoore. 



December i, 8 p.m., 

Or January i, 6 p.m. 
A little below our zenith the meridian 
passes very near two rather bright stars, 
about four degrees apart. The line joining 



Il8 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

them points north-east and south-west. 
These are the eyes of the Ram. The west- 
ern star has a fainter companion star, two 
degrees south of it. The body of the Ram 
lies eastward, reaching nearly to the Seven 
Stars in the shoulder of the Bull. There 
are no other bright stars in the Ram. It is 
one of the zodiac constellations, through 
which the moon passes monthly. Lower 
down, our meridian cuts the huge Whale in 
the middle. 

Where the meridian touches the horizon 
a part of the constellation Phenix is visible. 
Only a small part is ever above our horizon, 
and there are no remarkable stars in it. 
The southern branch of Eridanus sinks be- 
low the horizon to the left of our meridian. 
From lower Florida a very bright star of the 
first magnitude can be seen — Acharnar. 
Even there it rises only a very little space 
above the south point of the horizon. 

Aries is bounded on the north by Androm- 
eda and Perseus (with some very small, un- 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. II9 

important constellations lying between) ; on 
the east by Taurus; on the south by the 
Whale; on the west by Pisces, the Fishes. 
We have already given an extract from a 
letter written by Daniel Webster, in which 
he speaks of the beauties of early morning 
and sunrise in spring. We quote a passage 
from another letter, written at his home ear- 
lv on a winter morning: 

Marshfield, Tuesday Morning, 

Five o'clock, Dec. 7, 1847. 
My Dear Sir: It is a beautiful, clear, cold, still morn- 
ing. I rose at 4 o'clock, and have looked forth. The 
firmament is glorious. Jupiter and Venus are magnifi- 
cent, "and stars unnumbered gild the glowing pole." 
I wish I could once see the constellations of the south, 
though I do not think they can excel the heavens which 
are over our heads. An hour or two hence we shall have 
a fine sunrise. The long twilights of this season of the 
year make the sun's rising a slow and beautiful progress. 
About one hour hence these lesser lights will begin to 
"pale their ineffectual fires." Meantime Mr. Baker and 
his men are already milking and feeding the cows, and 
his wife has a warm breakfast for them, all ready, before 
a bright fire. Such is country life, and such is the price 
paid for manly strength and female health and red cheeks. 



120 the young astronomer. 

December io, 8 p.m. 

The head of Andromeda is very near our 
zenith, her body extending toward the north- 
east. Below our zenith the meridian leaves 
the great square of Pegasus a little to our 
right. Below the square is the zodiac con- 
stellation Pisces, having no connection with 
the Southern Fish, now low down in the 
south. Astronomers call this constellation 
Pisces " a dull region." It is certainly so 
to the naked eye, as it has no star of the 
first magnitude, its brightest being scarcely 
above the third. One Fish is below the 
southern side of the great square and par- 
allel to it, while the other is several degrees 
east of the eastern side of this square, and 
parallel to it. These Fishes are bound to- 
gether by a long, loose cord, in a knot of 
which is the brightest star in this interesting 
constellation. 

Our days are nearly at their shortest. In 
Florida they are about ten hours long, 
while in Maine they are scarcely nine. 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 121 

Night brings out stars, as sorrow shows us truths. 

We never see the stars 
Till we can see naught but them. So with truth. 
■ — Festits. 

December 20, 8 p.m. 

Let us take a general view of the winter 
constellations, now visible in all their splen- 
dor. We begin at the northern point of the 
horizon and go round by the east to the 
south, and then by the west back to the 
north, mentioning in order the constellations 
on the horizon. 

Very near the northern horizon are a few 
faint stars in the Dragon. Then comes the 
Great Dipper, the lower end of the handle 
being cut off by the horizon to some portions 
of our country. In the north-east Cancer 
is rising. In the east the Unicorn is partly 
above the horizon, the bright star Procyo, in 
the Little Dog, being very near the horizon. 
Farther south the Great Dog is rising, Sirius, 
in his mouth, flashing very close to the hori- 
zon. Half-way from this to the south point, 



122 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

just on the horizon, are a few rather bright 
stars in the little constellation Columba, the 
Dove. At the south point of the horizon 
the meridian passes between the Phenix on 
our right and a part of Eridanus on the left. 
Low down in the south-west is the bright 
Fomalhaut, in the eye of the Southern Fish. 
Nearer to the western point of the horizon 
Aquarius is ready to sink down. In the west 
the Dolphin (Job's Coffin) is very near the 
horizon. Still nearer the horizon Altair, in 
the Eagle, may be seen just ready to sink 
below it. In the north-west Vega, in Lyra, 
is very low down. Higher up in the north- 
west is Arided, in the upper end of the 
Northern Cross, which stands upright. The 
great square of Pegasus is midway up in the 
west; Andromeda nearly overhead, with 
Cassiopeia between her and the North Star. 
Perseus is a little north of our zenith; and 
Bootes, with Arcturus on his knee, is high 
up in the east. Below him are the Twins 
(Gemini). 



STARS THAT RISE AND SET. 1 23 

Start from the zenith, and run your eyes 
down toward the south-east over the Seven 
Stars (Pleiades) ; Aldebaran, in the Hyades ; 
Orion in all his splendor, and Sirius below; 
and the Milky Way bordering all this array. 
There is no other part of the sky where one 
look can cover so much richness. At times 
— as in March and April — a new moon ( not 
bright enough to dim the stars) or a bright 
planet in this neighborhood still increases 
the beauty of this wonderful display. Eleven 
stars of first magnitude are now visible. 

It was at this season, after looking at this 
part of the sky f that an unknown poet wrote 
the following lines, which appeared anony- 
mously in a London newspaper nearly forty 
years ago. In the latitude of England the 
Great Bear is high up, the " mighty Seven 
Stars ' ' in the Great Dipper being overhead : 

Last night there was a festival in heaven ; 

The sky burned with a most majestic light. 
Orion, Lyra, and the mighty Seven 

Flamed like the banners of some awful tight. 



124 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

The stars hung clustering, like white ivy, round 
The oriel window of the curtained sky, 

As though God had with festoons gayly bound 

The cloud-draped arch through which his angels fly„ 

Perchance the Master, in some distant place, 

Had hung mid-sky a new created world; 
Or with another sun had garnished space, 

Streaming below like a gay flag unfurled: 
Or it might be some great returning day, 

When an archangel by a holy feat 
Gained for his mighty crown another ray 

By mastery at the games where angels meet. 

The winds at sunset had an organ's sound, 

And softly played a low religious tune; 
It may be at that hour some saint was crowned 

Who died when thro' his window looked the moon. 
Whatever was the cause, there was in heaven 

A rare and grand display of pomp last night: 
Perhaps the Saviour and the great eleven 

Revealed themselves unto angelic sight. 





THE SUN AS SEEN FROM THE PLANETS. 

(12C) 



CHAPTER VI. 

SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. 

THIS little volume makes no claim to be- 
ing a text- book in astronomy, for old 
or young. We therefore do not speak of 
the distances or sizes of the heavenly bod- 
ies. A few items may be given about them, 
such as maybe verified by the young reader 
from his own observation. 
The Sun. 
The naked eye can do very little with the 
sun, though there are a few things about it 
worth notice. Even a very young person 
must have noticed that at midday, when the 
sun is overhead, it is not always in the same 
spot on our meridian. In winter it is low 
down toward the south, while in midsum- 
mer it is much higher up toward our zenith. 
Its highest and lowest point depends on the 
latitude of the observer. In Lower Florida 

(127) 



128 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the sun comes within a very few degrees of 
the zenith in mid-summer, though it never 
reaches that point. 

Let the young observer notice where the 
sun sets on any given day. Let the spot on 
the horizon be marked. In a very few 
evenings it will be seen to set either farther 
to the north or south, depending on the 
season of the year when the observation is 
made. At the shortest day it sets farthest 
toward the south, while at the longest it sets 
farthest toward the north. And so, too, 
with the rising. Between the farthest north- 
ern and southern points of rising (or setting) 
there is an arc of the horizon whose length 
depends on the latitude of the observer. In 
Florida this arc will be about fifty degrees, 
while in northern Maine it will be about 
seventy. 

The sun, when very near the horizon, ris- 
ing or setting, sometimes looks unusually 
large. At other times it seems not round, 
but oval in shape. Occasionally there are 



SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. 1 29 

spots on the sun large enough to be seen by 
the naked eye. 

One very important observation may be 
made by the learner. Watch the western 
sky after sunset, and notice the stars that 
are low down. After a few evenings they 
will be too near the sun to be seen, and in a 
few weeks these stars can be seen before 
sunrise in the east. This shows that there 
is motion somewhere. The earth must 
move, or the sun, or the stars. 

The Moon. 

Every month, there is a new moon to in- 
vite observation. The very word month is 
connected with the word moon. 

In the case of the sun, all its changes as 
to place of rising or setting, as well as its 
change of place when on meridian, are 
gone through in one year. It is very differ- 
ent with the moon. For several years it has 
been passing our meridian higher and high- 
er. It will continue to do so for several 
9 



I3O THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

years to come (until 1894), when the young 
people in Florida will see the full moon ex- 
actly overhead. This no one of them has 
seen before, as it occurs only once in near- 
ly nineteen years. 

The difference between the extreme ris- 
ing or setting places of the moon on the ho- 
rizon is greater than in the case of the sun. 

Every "new moon" is a new object to 
look at with admiration. It may be seen 
when two days old. An instance is related 
of a keen-eyed young lady who saw the old 
moon one morning before sunrise, and the 
new moon on the following evening after 
sunset. The points of the crescent in the 
new moon are always of course turned from 
the sun. For a few evenings the dark part 
of the moon can be seen. This is some- 
times called the " old moon in the new 
moon's arms." The bright rim of the moon 
in such cases looks larger than the dark 
ball. 

The moon passes through the constella- 




THE EARTH AS SEEN FROM THE MOON. 

(131) 



I32 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

tions of the zodiac every month. She moves 
twelve or thirteen degrees eastward every 
twenty-four hours. It will be interesting 
for the young observer to watch the moon 
night after night, and trace it from one con- 
stellation to another. Watch the stars im- 
mediately around it one evening, and then 
see on the next how far eastward it has 
traveled. 

Sometimes the moon passes over a bright 
star or planet, and eclipses it for a short 
time. This is called occultation. 

The full moon is opposite to the sun. In 
winter the sun is low down in the south. 
The winter full moons are therefore high 
up. This gives us more moonlight in the 
long winter nights. 

The moon rises later each successive 
evening by a variable difference of time. 
With us the difference may be as little as a 
half-hour, or as much as an hour and a 
quarter. In higher latitudes the least differ- 
ence is less than with us. In very high lat- 



SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. 1 33 

itudes it may rise about the same hour for 
several successive evenings. This cannot 
be the case in any part of our country. 
With us this difference in the rising of the 
moon on successive evenings varies from 
year to year. This is seen especially in the 
full moons of September and October. For 
several years to come this difference will be 
lessening, reaching its limit in 1894. In En- 
gland, where the difference is less than with 
us, the September moon is called " harvest 
moon," and the next is the "hunter's 
moon." 

When a small crescent is seen, the moon 
shines only through a small part of the 
night. The half moon shines through half 
the night. The full moon shines all night. 

Planets. 
The word -planet means wanderer. The 
fixed stars keep the same position with re- 
gard to each other during the life of any 
observer. Thev do not draw nearer each 



134 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

other, or move apart, in so far as the keen- 
est unaided eye can detect. But a planet 
is in one neighborhood of stars to-night, 
and will wander into another neighborhood 
in a few days or months or years. If Sirius 
or any other star is on the meridian at 8 
o'clock on any given evening, it will be on 
the meridian at that hour on that evening all 
your life. But Jupiter or any planet may 
be on the meridian to-night at 8 o'clock, 
while one year hence at the same hour it 
may be far from the meridian. For this 
reason we could not put down the planets 
with the stars on successive evenings. We 
may give some information about them here. 

Mercury. 

This is the nearest planet to the sun that 
we know of. It moves rapidly, and is al- 
ways near the sun, which makes it difficult 
to be seen. Some grown people who have 
paid considerable attention to astronomy 
have never seen it. In England and higher 



SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. 1 35 

latitudes it is not easily seen, but with us 
there are several times in each year when it 
can be seen for several evenings success- 
ively. This is the time when it is farthest 
from the sun. If east of the sun, it can be 
seen as the evening star; and if west, it 
rises before the sun, and is seen as morning 
star. Any almanac will tell when this is the 
case. The evening is the best time for or- 
dinary observers to hunt for this planet. 
When the almanac says " Mercury greatest 
elongation east," at that date (and for a few 
evenings before and after) look low down 
in the west, about three-quarters of an hour 
after sunset. As he is always seen only 
when near the horizon, Mercury often twink- 
les like a star, though usually -planets do not 
twinkle. It is worth a little trouble to see 
this brilliant, flashing little planet. It will 
be easier to find it a second time. 

Venus. 
Venus is morning star for nearly ten 



I36 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

months, and then she is the evening star for 
the same length of time. The name " morn- 
ing star" is not strictly correct in the case 
of a planet, but any thing bright in the sky 
is popularly called a " star." Venus out- 
shines all the other planets. When bright- 
est, in the absence of the moon, she casts a 
shadow, and can be seen at midday. She 
passes through the phases of the moon, but 
these are not seen with the naked eye, as 
she is so brilliant that our eyes are dazzled. 
Through a small telescope, in one part of 
her circuit, she is seen as a beautiful little 
crescent. When seen as morning star she 
is often brighter than as evening star, as the 
air is quieter and purer. At times Venus 
passes directly between us and the sun. 
With the naked eye, looking through a 
smoked glass, she is seen as a dark spot, 
taking several hours to go across the bright 
face of the sun. This took place in Decem- 
ber, 1874, when the people of Europe saw 
this strange sight. In December, 1882, an- 



SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. 1 37 

other transit took place in our day-time, so 
that all over the United States it was seen 
by millions. But the youngest reader can- 
not hope to see a transit of Venus. It can- 
not occur again until the year 2004. Trans- 
its of Mercury are more frequent, but they 
are less striking and less important to as- 
tronomers. One will take place on the 
evening of May 9, 1891, and another No- 
vember 10, 1894. 

Mars. 

Mercury and Venus are nearer the sun 
than our earth. They never get on the 
other side of the earth from the sun. 
Neither of these planets is ever seen rising 
in the east at sunset, nor is either ever seen 
on the meridian at midnight. When the 
sun is near the horizon, either rising or set- 
ting, Mercury can never be one-third of the 
way up to the zenith, and Venus never more 
than half-way up. 

Mars is farther from the sun than the 
earth, and he is seen at all apparent dis- 



I38 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

tances from the sun. Once in two years he 
is in opposition to the sun — that is, he rises 
in the east as the sun sets in the west. He 
is then very bright, and shines with a red, 
glaring light. For several years the oppo- 
sition of Mars will take place in the even 
years, 1892, 1894, 1896, etc. These will 
be the best years in which to see him. The 
opposition of 1892 will be especially favor- 
able. 

Jupiter. 

Jupiter is the kingly planet — not only 
larger than any other planet, but larger than 
all other planets put together. Being so 
distant, he is not quite as brilliant as Venus. 
He is much brighter than any star, being 
about five times brighter than Sirius, the 
brightest of all the stars. He travels slow- 
ly, taking nearly twelve years to pass through 
the constellations of the zodiac. He is thus 
about twelve months in each constellation. 
During most of the year 1890 he was in 
Capricornus. He spent most of 1878 in the 



SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. 1 39 

same constellation. Since then he has 
passed through all the other constellations, 
making one complete circuit. He was 
brightest (in opposition) July 30, 1890. His 
oppositions come yearly, each one about 
five weeks later in the year. For several 
years this fine planet will be most conspicu- 
ous in late summer and fall months. No 
satellites of Jupiter can be seen by ordinary 
eyes, but an opera-glass will show them as 
shining points. 

Saturn. 

Saturn is the most distant planet which 
the naked eye can see. When in opposi- 
tion he is quite conspicuous, shining with a 
" dull, heavy look." He takes thirty years 
to finish his vast circuit, thus spending more 
than two years in each constellation. In 
i860 he was in the constellation Leo, where 
he spent all of 1890. When he leaves it, he 
will not be in it again for thirty years. He 
was "in opposition" February 18, 1890. 
His oppositions come about two weeks later 



I4O THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

each year. For several years to come he 
will be seen to greatest advantage in the 
spring months. When the two great plan- 
ets Jupiter and Saturn are near together, 
they form a grand object-lesson. This will 
not occur for several years. 

It is interesting to notice the motions of 
the planets as they move from one neighbor- 
hood of stars to another. In the case of 
Mars, for example, this motion can be de- 
tected in twenty-four hours. In other plan- 
ets it may take several evenings to make the 
motions so marked. At times the motion 
seems to be backward. Forward motion 
means from west to east, taking the constel- 
lations in order — Aries, Taurus, Gemini, 
etc. If a planet passes from Gemini to 
Taurus, that is backward, as it is backward 
motion for the hand of a watch to pass from 
figure III. to figure II. Saturn moves back- 
ward among the stars for about four months 
in every year, Jupiter nearly as long, and 
Mars for more than two months. This 



SUN, MOON, AND PLANETS. I4I 

backward motion is only apparent. It seems 
to us that they go backward, but they are 
moving forward all the time. The explana- 
tion of this singular fact cannot be given 
here. This and many other interesting and 
important things in the study of astronomy 
will come later to the earnest student. 

Sir John Herschel has a striking illustra- 
tion to show the relative sizes and distances 
of our sun and planets : In a level field place 
a globe two feet in diameter to represent the 
sun. Mercury will then be represented by 
a grain of mustard-seed nearly thirty yards 
distant ; Venus by a pea, forty yards distant ; 
our earth by a pea, seventy yards distant; 
Mars by a rather large pin's head, one hun- 
dred and ten yards distant; Jupiter by a 
moderate-sized orange, a quarter of a mile 
distant; Saturn by a small orange, a half- 
mile distant. On this scale the nearest star 
will be eight thousand miles distant. 

If the eve, when it fixes its gaze upon the vault of 
heaven, could see in fancy a causeway arched across 



I42 THE YOUNG ASTRONOMER. 

the void and bordered on the long series with the hills 
and plains of an earthly journey, repeated ten thousand 
and ten thousand times, until ages were spent in the 
pilgrimage; then would he who possessed such power 
of vision hide himself in caverns rather than venture to 
look up to the terrible magnitude of the starry skies 
thus set out in parts before him. — Isaac Taylor. 

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth ; 

And the heavens are the work of thy hands. 

They shall perish, but thou shalt endure : 

Yea, all of them shall wax old, like a garment; 

As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be 

changed: 
But thou art the same, 
And thy years shall have no end. 

— Psalm cii. 25-27. 




INDEX. 



* * * 



PAGE 

Andromeda 114 

Aquarius (Waterman) 101 

Aquila (Eagle) 69 

Argo Navis (Southern Ship) 45 

Aries (Ram) 116 

Auriga (Charioteer) 41 

Bootes — Bo-o-tes 65 

Camelopard 23 

Cana Berenice (Berenice's Hair) 55 

Cancer (Crab) 51 

Canis Major (Larger Dog) 44 

Canis Minor (Smaller Dog) 49 

Capricornus 100 

Cassiopeia 22 

Centaurus 67 

Cepheus 23 

Cetus (Whale) 107 

Corona Borealis (Northern Crown) 7S 

Corvus (CroAv) 67 

Cygnus (Swan) 95 

Delphinus (Dolphin) 9S 

Draco 84 

Eridanus (River Po) 109 

(143) 



144 INDEX. 

PAGE 

Gemini (Twins) 47 

Hercules 82 

Hydra (Water Snake) 56 

Leo Major (Larger Lion) 53 

Leo Minor (Smaller Lion) 53 

Libra (Scales) 72 

Lynx 48 

Lyra (Harp) 86 

Monoceros (Unicorn) 50 

Orion 37 

Pegasus (Winged Horse) 105 

Perseus 35 

Pisces Australis (Southern Fish) 103 

Pisces (Fishes) 1 18 

Sagittarius (Archer) 93 

Scorpio (Scorpion) 80 

Serpentarius (Serpent) 83 

Taurus (Bull) 34 

Ursa Major (Larger Bear) 12 

Ursa Minor (Smaller Bear) 14 

Virgo (Virgin) 58 

Zodiac 90 




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